Doodle's Story
by asianinvasion30
Summary: A girl running from her past...and from tragedy. She finds a future in Manhattan and faces her demons and helps a newsie, Race, face his as well. Not Finished..but there is still PLENTY to read! NEW CHAPTER UPDATES! chapter 37 is up!
1. Shadow in the Dark

_Authors Note_

_This is my first and as of now only fan fiction! Be proud of me that I even have this much done . This story takes place after two of my friend's stories (Angel's Story by pearblossom, and Bailey's Story by cowgoil10, these take place at the same time but from different points of view). Well this isn't quite done yet but I have just got started again and am on a roll! I hope you all like it enough to keep on reading until the end! Review if you have any comments , enjoy!_

I was on my way to Manhattan. I had left in the dead of night from the lodger's house leaving only a note for the mistress of the house declaring my thanks. I now had to decide where to go. I had no family connections that I could take advantage of. In the end I decided to go to Manhattan since I figured it was a big city and easy to get lost in.

I was on the run. I had to leave take advantage of. In the end I decided to go to Manhattan since I figured it was a big city and easy to get lost in. my home in Harlem, though it hadn't been the best place to grow up. Even so it was the only place I knew. A few nights ago was when it happened.

I grew up with my mother in a small apartment above a shop where she worked as a seamstress. We made enough to get by and I helped out by selling the occasional paper.

That night I was walking down to the apartment after I had run to the market to buy some food for dinner. The lights were out in the upper floor above the shop but I could hear indistinct noises coming from it. I left the bag of what I had bought at the foot of the stairs as I walked into the back door of the shop. I softly crept up the stairs listening to the sounds from above. I came to a halt at the door to our apartment.

The voice I heard was threatening, the other pleading. The pleading voice was my mother.

"Haven't you had yer fun with me? Please," I heard muffled sobs, "just leave."

My throat began to tighten, my breath caught in my throat. "Shuddup lady, I know you'd talk. " I then heard the sound I'll never forget, the unmistakable sound of someone cocking a gun. On the edge of panic I turned the knob of the door at which I had been listening at. Both people turned to look at me.

My mother gasped "Brin!"

As we looked into each other's eyes the gun fired. My mother crumpled and I felt as though I was about to pass out. I couldn't believe what was happening, couldn't comprehend the inevitable, my mother was dead.

I suddenly remembered there was a murderer standing in the room with me. The murder weapon, the gun that had just killed my mother, was now pointed at me.

"Who are ye?" I managed to get out although I was still in a daze.

He chuckled and the sound made me shudder. "I don't think ya need to know that, since you won't be around to much longer." That blatant statement brought me out of my daze at least somewhat.

" You bastard, go to hell!" I shouted it and the loud noise seemed to slice through the silence just as the gun shot had seconds before. Again the shadowy figure chuckled.

"A young girl for such a foul mouth. I would just like you to know that your mother was raped before she died." I froze, the numbness replaced by a burning anger.

"Why her?" To me my voice sounded distant and too calm.

" I don't chose, I take my opportunities." The man paused "Enough talk. Say goodbye, dar'lin." No! I thought, I wasn't going to allow myself to be killed by the cold-blooded devil that raped and murdered my own mother. To me this wasn't even an option, but I didn't know what to do.

Miraculously the gun didn't fire.

"Fucking gun!" the shadowy figure muttered "I'll have to do this by hand."

I seized my opportunity and ran. Stumbling and almost falling down the stairs I made it to the landing at the bottom of them. To the door, the handle stuck, then I rammed into it and hearing heavy feet coming down the stairs after me, ran into the night.

I ran without stopping or looking back, ran as tears of fear, anger, and grief ran down my cheeks.

That night I took refuge at the lodging house that I came across late at night then left the next day for Manhattan.


	2. Finding a New Life

I walked down the crowded, sunlit street and gazed around trying to decide what to do and where to go. That day I walked around getting the scope of the city and ate, with the small amount of money I had, at a small restaurant occupied mostly by boys of various ages. After eating it had just started to get dark so I found a lodging house near the restaurant.  
  
I walked in and there were a few boys standing around by the entrance.  
  
"Whudda ye want?" one of them asked me.  
  
"Um I need a place to stay tonight."  
  
I felt a little uncomfortable with the boys, around my age, 16, who were looking me up and down. "Well dis is a boys lodgin house but we have two goils in here once in a while." One of the boys said. "Me names Mush."  
  
I held my hand out and he looked a little surprised but then took my hand and shook it.  
  
"Me names'..." (I didn't want to give out my real name, I didn't know if I should trust a guy I just met) "Uh ye can call me Doodles."(a kid name my mother called me sometimes when I mindlessly doodled).  
  
"Nice ta meetcha", said a boy next to Mush, "I'm Kid Blink". He winked at me and I smiled back a little unsure. "Ye can ignore Blink there", Mush said," He's a real ladies man."  
  
Blink playfully punched Mush on the arm just as a tall handsome guy around seventeen and a pretty girl around the same age entered the door of the lodging house.  
  
"Hey Cowboy, Bailey, meet Doodles. Doya think she can stay hea tonight?" Mush said. Jack shook my hand  
  
"Sure. Nice ta meetcha Doodles." Jack said with a smile. "Dis hea's me goil Bailey."  
  
She smiled too and shook my hand.  
  
"Yeah it's good ta meetcha, she said, "why don't we go up stairs and I'll get ya a room?"  
  
I said bye to Mush, Jack, Blink, and the rest of the guys I hadn't talked to as Bailey led me up the stairs.  
  
"Don tell de guys dis but sometimes I jus need ta be with a fellow goil." she said with a friendly smile. "My sista Angel is hea a lot but half the time she's in Brooklyn with her boyfriend Spot." "Spot...?" I asked implying I thought this was a funny name for Bailey's sister's boyfriend.  
  
"De name Spot ain't any funnier dan Doodles." she said with a laugh. I laughed too, something I hadn't done for a while.  
  
"I guess yer right about dat."  
  
"So do ye got a real name?" she asked. "Well yea," I said, "don't everyone?"  
  
"Well," Bailey said, (I could tell she wasn't gonna give up on this one.), "Whudds yers?"  
  
I sighed but I felt I could trust her so I gave in. "Me name's Brin."  
  
"Oh," she said, "why were ye so reluctant te tell me yer name?"  
  
I said quickly, "I don want te talk 'bout it. Maybe anodda time"  
  
She seemed to understand and I was glad for that.  
  
We had been walking down a hallway after climbing the stairs while we talked and we had passed rooms full of messy, unmade bunk beds and a big cluttered bathroom area.  
  
To Bailey I said, "Not te be mean but you can tell boys live here."  
  
Bailey and I were laughing as we stopped at a door.  
  
She turned the knob and we walked into a small room with a bunk bed and not much else.  
  
"I hope dis's alright." Bailey said looking at me. "Its poifect." I said thinking of my mother and her murderer.  
  
"Thanks, well I should get some sleep." I said.  
  
"G'night," Bailey said," tommorow ye havta meet more a de guys and Spot an' Angel who are comin' from Brooklyn."  
  
"Ok," I agreed. Bailey shut the door behind her and for once since the few days ago I felt a tiny bit of happiness. 


	3. Meeting Racetrack

The next day I woke disoriented in the small bottom bunk and the realization of what had happened hit me as it did every morning since my mother's death. I could hear boys' voices and remembered last night feeling a little better. I got dressed, realizing I had no cloths so I pulled on the pants and shirt I had worn the previous day, and when I was ready, I opened the door. I walked down the hallway and was almost immediately confronted by one of the boys that had been with Mush the previous night.  
  
He was tall, skinny, and handsome and wore a pair of wire rimmed glasses.  
  
"Hi", he said to me, "I'm Specs."  
  
I said back to him, I'm Doodles if ye didn't already hear."  
  
"I did but its nice te meetcha anyways. Mush didn't have de manners ta introduce us las night." He laughed and I smiled at him then saw Bailey walking up to us.  
  
"Good mornin, Doodles come meet some more a' th' guys before they goes ta woik."  
  
"See ya later Doodles", Specs said .  
  
"Bye", I said back and he turned and walked down the hallway, "Ok", I said happy to see her, "Where do dey all woik?"  
  
"Well deyre newsies of course", she told me.  
  
"Oh, I used ta sell papes sometimes back in Harlem." She looked suprised. "Really? Goil newsies aren't dat common." "Oh?", You and yer sista do it dough right?", I said.  
  
"Yea.", she replied.  
  
"I jus did it te help eoin money for me mudder an me." I replied.  
  
"Yer Mudder?" she asked, Where's she?"  
  
I hadn't even realized I had mentioned my mother. I hadn't told anyone what had happened but then again there hadn't been anyone to tell. I decided to let it out.  
  
"Can ye keep a secret?" I asked quietly.  
  
"Sure", she replied, "but ya don have ta tell me if ye don' want te."  
  
"Thanks." I said "but I gotta get it out sometime."  
  
Even though my heart was pounding and I began to sweat even just at the memory, I told her.  
  
After, I knew I was about to cry and I desperatly tried to hold them in but i was losing. I need some time alone.  
  
"I'll meet da newsies later ok?"  
  
"Ok.", she said to me looking at me sadly as I hurried down the stairs blindly.  
  
I wasn't paying attention to where I was going and as I half ran outside I tripped and fell straight into a boy accidentally ripping his shirt open. I caught my balance and mortification began to take place of the sadness. He looked bewildered and I couldn't blame him. How often did he get almost run over by a crying girl? Not to mention the girl ripping his shirt wide open.  
  
"Hey you ok?" he said worriedly, after seeing my tears.  
  
"Well I'd say yea but then I'd be lyin", I half sobbed, half laughed when I said this. "Ummm, I'm sorry for ripping yer shirt and runnin inte ye."  
  
He chuckled, "Its ok, it's just a shirt an I can get it fixed. By the way me name's Race...er Racetrack. You must be Doodles. Jack told me ye got here las night."  
  
"Yeah." I said. I had stopped crying, though my face was still burning from the embarrassment...of well...you know..., but I was surprised I had managed not to break down into tears totally.  
  
My vision cleared some and I finally got a clear view of his face. He was a few inches taller than me and had brown eyes and hair. He spoke with a rough New York accented voice. He wasn't really good looking but there was something about him that made my heart beat a little faster, including his exposed chest, which was, to say the least, not bad. I was only human, or at least, female. He wore a newsboy hat and usual newsie cloths. Though he had two different plaids on, which was I thought was odd but even so, it worked for him. I tried dismissing as not the normal type I fall for but Race, Racetrack was different from everyone else.  
  
"Do ye want te go somewhere to calm down?" he asked me. "Ok," I said "and thanks".  
  
"No problem, Its not everyday a beautifol goil falls in yer arms is it?" he said with a chuckle.  
  
I laughed with him and thought about it. Me beautiful? Bailey was beautiful with her blond hair and green-yellow eyes. I had straight dark brown hair tinted with auburn, like my mother's hair had been, with hazel green eyes. Sure I had interesting looks but I wasn't so sure about beautiful.  
  
"Uh I gotta go change first." he said.  
  
"Ok.", I said. Then just having a thought I said. "Me mudd-," I broke off as tears clouded my vision once again. Then forcing them back I finished. "Uh...I was taught how ta sew so I can fix yer shirt if ye want."  
  
"Thanks...Id was an accident afta all...wasn't it?" he winked at me rougishly and we walked into the lodging house.  
  
We walked up the stairs in silence and we stopped outside a room occupied by messy bunks. There he took his ripped shirt off and handed it to me.  
  
"I'll be right back." I said and walked down the hallway to my room.  
  
We arrived at the little restaurant I had eaten at the night before, before I had gone to the lodging house. It was called Tibbys'.  
  
"Me an the rest of the newsies always eat hea", Racetrack told me. "So who've ye met so far?" he asked me.  
  
"I've met Bailey, Jack, Mush, Kid Blink, and Specs. Well and you o course. Bailey was gonna introduce me ta some of em this mornin but then ah..." I broke off.  
  
"You fell into me arms?" Race said with a smile.  
  
"Yea." I said.  
  
"Do ye want to talk about it?" he asked me.  
  
"Wel-". I was cut off suddenly.  
  
"Heya Race, hi Doodles" Jack sat down next to Racetrack and I smiled at him.  
  
"Hey Jacky-boy how ye doin?" Race asked him.  
  
"Good." he replied.  
  
"Hi Jack", I said to him.  
  
"Me, Dave an' Les just got done sellin our papes." Jack said.  
  
I looked up and saw that Jack was with two other boys one about sixteen or seventeen and the other around ten.  
  
"This is David", Jack told me pointing to the older one who had curly hair and a square jaw,"and this is Les." he said indicating the scrawny yet cute younger boy. "David, Les, dis is Doodles. She's stayin at de lodgin house."  
  
"Hi.", all of us said to each other. We ate lunch together and really didn't talk about much...what I basically got was that Dave and Jack were not on the best terms because I found out that Jack used to date Davids sister Sarah...before he met Bailey. Davy, being protective of her or something, still wasn't all that happy with Jack. I gathered this vital information from Race who told me quickly when the others had gone to pay. When they were done Jack, Dave, and Les left to go to somewhere they called Medda's Race said we'd catch up with them later.  
  
"What's Medda's?" I asked him once they had gone.  
  
"Medda's a friend of th' newsies", he told me, "She owns a theater and us newsies like te go te watch de shows."  
  
Later as we were walking to Medda's I asked him how he got named Racetrack. I took the forethought to determine Race wasn't his real name.  
  
"Well I love ta go th' tracks an' watch de races." he told me.  
  
"You gamble?" I asked incredulously.  
  
"Well I guess ye could say that." he replied with a smile playing around his mouth. "Everyone has love fer somethin", he said, "mine's fer the tracks."  
  
He was right I thought to myself.  
  
We arrived at Medda's and entered. We were in an entrance hall near some steps and could hear music playing. Walking towards us was a tall handsome boy with sharp ice blue eyes, slingshot stuck conveniently in his belt and a girl who bore a resemblance to Bailey. She had the same eyes but light brown hair, and also like Bailey she was beautiful.  
  
I almost automatically assumed this would be the infamous Spot Conlon leada of Brooklyn and Bailey's sister, Angel.  
  
"Hi I'm Spot Conlon, an dis is me goil Angel."  
  
My assumption was right.  
  
"Also Bai's sista" she said looking at Spot, "Jack told us you'd be hea soon." Angel said to me smiling.  
  
"Hi I'm Doodles, its nice ta meetcha." I replied, returning her smile.  
  
"Heya Race.", Spot said to Racetrack. "Been showin' Doodles around?"  
  
"Kinda", he said smiling a little, "We just ran inte each other (literally I thought) and den met Jack, Dave, an Les. Hows Brooklyn lately? You still in for poka t'night?"  
  
"Brooklyn's great an ye know I whuddn't miss a poka game", Spot replied, with a wink at Angel, giving Race a slap on the shoulder which Race returned.  
  
"So Doodles, whudd brings ye te Manhattan?" Angel asked me.  
  
"Uh..." I was still unsure on how to answer this question. I had realized that I could trust them and the rest of the newsies but I didn't want to just have everyone trying to help me and talk to me about it, it was still painful to think about. It had only been two days ago...  
  
"I was lookin' fer woik." I decided this was a safe answer.  
  
"Whudd kinda woik?" Angel asked.  
  
"Well I usta sell papes so I thought I might be able te be a newsie."  
  
Angel looked interested "I'm a newsie now too, so ye met up with de right people."  
  
"Yea, Bailey told me. "Can I sell with ye tomorrow?"  
  
"Sur-", Angel began to speak but Race cut in.  
  
"Ye can sell wid me, cause Angel's gonna sell whid Spot tommorow."  
  
"I am?" Angel said giving Race a searching look concealed by a mischievous smile.  
  
"Dats fine by me." Spot said giving Angel a kiss and Race an amused look. I raised my eyebrows at Race but didn't say anything else about it. I had only just met the guy.  
  
"As long as I can come to the card game t'night." I said.  
  
"Why d'ya wanna go te th' poker game?" Race asked me, "There can be some dangerous people there."  
  
"I don't care", I replied, "If it gets that bad I know how ta hold me own in a fight."  
  
"Besides Race" Angel cut in, "I useta go wid Spot."  
  
"Ok, ok" Race gave in, "but why do ye want go to th' card game so much?"  
  
"I guess I wanna see ya doin whudd yer best at." I said this with a winning, innocent smile on my face. I actually didn't know why I wanted to go...to be with Race longer? When my head popped that unexpected thought in my head my face got hot. Wait I thought to myself I've known him for...? 5 hours? Geez I'm such a flirt I though mentally hitting myself in the head in exasperation.  
  
"Alright.", Race said.  
  
"Why don't we go watch Medda?" Spot suggested, "It is kinda the reason we came here.", he said this just a little bit sarcastically.  
  
"Fine!" I said in a false huff because I still had a smile on my face.  
  
As we were about to go into the stage area Angel grabbed my arm and held me back a second.  
  
"Race is acting really strange." she said with questioning look on her face.  
  
"Hey i dunno, I just met the guy."  
  
"Well anyways he is just actin' different. He seems to really like you."  
  
"Well," I said turning slightly red and I could feel my ears getting hot, "As I said I just met him aldough he is pretty cute in an odd sorta way doncha think?"  
  
Angel laughed in this knowing way and I smiled embarrassedly as we walked to sit down next to Race and Spot. 


	4. Occurance at the Poker Game

Back at the lodging house later, before we left for the poker game, I had that day on my mind, and what Angel had said about Race. But just as I was wondering if what she had said could be true, my door opened and Racetrack entered the room.  
  
"Doodles ye 'bout ready?"  
  
"Uh, yeah." I said walking towards him, "Where's Spot?"  
  
"He's waitin downstairs." Race replied.  
  
We walked down the stairs together oddly not speaking.  
  
"So..." I said trying to think of something to say, "Who's gonna be dere?"  
  
"Uh a buncha newsies." Race said vaguely.  
  
"Real descriptive." I laughed and he seemed to snap out of it a little.  
  
"Oh, uh sorry." He said this but he didn't say anything else.  
  
As he was about to reply we stepped off the stairs and Spot was standing there with Angel.  
  
"Whudd were ye doin upstairs?" Spot asked, an evil grin on his face,  
"Whudd took ye so long?."  
  
"Shuddup Spot.", Race said looking a little annoyed and almost  
embarrassed.  
  
I laughed "Are we ready to go?"  
  
"Yeah", Race said, "Lets go."  
  
We walked for a while until we reached a small, old looking building and entered me an Angel behind Race and Spot. We walked down a hallway and saw Bailey and Jack standing outside the door of a darkened room.  
  
"Hi." I said to them as we walked up. "I didn't know ye guys whudd be hea."  
  
"I decided I wanted te come along. Hey ye guys," Bailey said.  
  
"Ready ta win?" Jack asked Race and Spot after saying hi to me and Angel.  
  
But before they could answer him the outside door opened and in walked a group of people I didn't know and also didn't look too friendly.  
  
"Whudd are ye doin hea?!" Race exclaimed with disgust.  
  
"We thought we'd give yous a little surprise." One boy around 18 said. Suddenly he saw me, "Who's dis?"  
  
"None of yer business." Spot spat out rubbing his knuckles.  
  
"Well dat don't matter, we just came fer some fun. An, we," he indicated a shorter boy who looked like him, "brought some friends along."  
  
"Hold on a sec," another older man stepped out of the menacing group. "I think dis might be dat goil dat got away from Shadow de odda day."  
  
I accidentally let out an audible gasp although I had been trying to keep quiet. I guessed Shadow was the name of the man who killed my mother and who had tried to kill me.  
  
"I guess I should jus finish de job fer 'im.", he said and began to walk towards me.  
  
Suddenly he jumped at me and fortunately my reflexes were good thanks to the fact I knew how to throw a good punch from growing up in a rough neighborhood. I caught him right in the stomach and air whooshed out of him leaving him gasping on the floor.  
  
"You'll pay fer dat." he managed to get out. "I'm glad yer mudder wasn't let off easy."  
  
Hate burned in me, "Shuddup 'bout me mudda!", I yelled a him.  
  
"Ye mean yer dead mudder." He taunted me, and although he was on his knees he suddenly grabbed my collar and yanked me off my feet.  
  
He managed to get in one bruising punch before someone grabbed him and began to do the punching. It was Race. All around me was chaos. Jack was telling Bailey and Angel to get them and me out of the building. Race, Jack, and Spot were outnumbered but some boys came out of the room we were about to and joined the fight, not looking fazed by it. My cheek, where he had punched me, stung but I got up and although the boys were telling us to get out I joined the fight.  
  
"Let's beat id!" Jack yelled as even more guys entered the outside door.  
  
Race grabbed my arm and pulled me after him as we ran through some hallways and out a back door. We ran a few streets over and stopped for a breath there.  
  
"Who were all dose people?" I asked nobody in particular as I gasped for air.  
  
"Dey're da Delancy broddas Oscar and Morris, along with some of deir friends from de Crypts.", Angel told me wiping a spot of blood off Spot's forehead.  
  
"Dey're who?" I asked.  
  
"Da Delancy broddas are scabbas and dev always been rats." Spot  
sneered.  
  
"And the Crypts are a group of dangerois men, who, unfortunatly are  
friends with Osca and Morris." Jack added.  
  
"Are ye ok? Yer cheek's already pretty swollen." Race asked me.  
  
"I'll be fine." deciding I'd totally figure out what was going on later. "Are ye ok? Oh! Yer bleedin."  
  
Race had a thin cut on his arm that didn't look too deep but still was bleeding pretty well. "It's not too bad." he said shaking it off.  
  
I ripped a piece off the bottom of my shirt and rapped his arm in it. Meanwhile Jack and Spot were checking on Angel and Bailey, who looked ok though they were still worried.  
  
"Jack! Get over hea," Bailey ordered, "yer bleedin too."  
  
She did the same as I had and made a bandage for Jack's cut on his hand. Race had just opened his mouth about to say something when Spot cut in.  
  
"Lets head back to th lodgin house befora we discuss dis. Dey might try te find us."  
  
Nobody argued so we walked back to the lodging house wary, and silent. 


	5. The Secret's Out

When we arrived back at the lodging house it was late and no one else was awake. We headed upstairs to Bailey and Jacks' room before anyone said anything.  
  
"Uh, Doodles I think ye need te tell everyone what made you run hea and exactly how dat man from de Crypts knows ye." Bailey said softly. "Dey have de right te know after what happened t'night."  
  
"Ok.", I dreading it, but Bailey was right.  
  
I told them how the night before last, had it only been 2 days? I had witnessed my mother's death and I was almost killed too. How the murderer whose face I had never clearly seen had told me what he had done to her, what she went through before she died. How I had thought I might be harder to find in the large city of Manhattan. I told them I guess I had been wrong.  
  
When I finished silence filled the room.  
  
"Well at least were all ok," I said. "An thanks fer lettin me stay. I'll be leavin tommorow."  
  
"Wudder ye talkin about?" Angel asked.  
  
"Well now de murderer, Shadow I guess, will know whea I am an I'm not gonna put ye inta danger by leadin him hea."  
  
"You're not goin anywhere." Race said firmly, "were not just gonna let ye go face dat bastard by yeself."  
  
Jack, Spot, Bailey, and Angel nodded in agreement.  
  
"Race is right and its not like we haven't been through stuff like dis before." Angel commented.  
  
"Yeah really Angel," Bailey smiled, "how many times you been stabbed?"  
  
Angel sighed and looked at me, "Shes always insisting I learn how te fight."  
  
"Ye were stabbed?" I said worridly.  
  
"Yea, try te avoid it if ye can."  
  
"I bet Doodles could help me teach ya, she looks like shes got a good punch ta me." Bailey hinted.  
  
"Yea," said Spot agreeing with Baileys observation about my punch, "whered ye loin ta fight?"  
  
"Growin up in Harlem, ye need ta know how." I replied.  
  
Right then I gave a huge yawn and remembered how late it was.  
  
"I think I need ta get some sleep." I said. "G'night."  
  
"Me too." said Angel and we walked to the door together.  
  
"Ok boys," Bailey said looking at Race and Spot, "out."  
  
"Can I stay?" Jack said joking.  
  
"Hmmm, I suppose." Bailey said with a mock sigh of annoyance and gave him a deep kiss. "C'mon Cowboy," Spot said smirking, "We still got things te disscuss before ye start dat." "Ok," Jack said letting go of Bailey and following the rest of us in to the hallway.  
  
Me and Angel said goodnight and walked to our rooms which were right next to each other and yawning said goodnight to each other. Right before we went into our rooms I paused.  
  
"Why is it dat we got oua own rooms?" I wondered since most of the other newsies lived in the big room with all the bunks.  
  
"Connections" Bailey said with a wink. "An lucky fer you, Kloppmans gone on a little vacation."  
  
"Kloppman?" I asked confused.  
  
"Hes da owna of de Lodgin house, and old friend of de newsies." Angel told me. "I'm sure you'll meet him sometime."  
  
Bailey yawned "Night te both of ye" and we all entered our rooms.  
  
I had just taken off my breeches and had put on an oversized shirt to wear to bed when there was a knock on the door and Race entered.  
  
"Whudde ye want?" I asked him curiously.  
  
"Me, Spot an Jack decided someone needed ta be in ur room for ur safety. An Jacks' with Bailey and Spots' with Angel, so that leaves me cause I'm de only one left." He paused with his babbling. "Not te scare ye but its only a matter of time till Shadow knows where ye are and comes lookin. Or fer dat matta until de Delancys' get enough brains in deyre head te think of ye bein hea. Ye gotta be protected."  
  
"I know." I said. "But I'm not scared," not wanting him to get the wrong impression of my courage though I was...to say the least scared. "I'm just mad, and I can't wait till I have my chance ta beat de shit outta him."  
  
Race laughed then sobered.  
  
"Well I guess I'll just hafta be scared for ye."  
  
"Thanks fer carin.", I said feeling kind of dumb but happy at the same time. "At home de only poison who cared was me mudder and two days ago when..."  
  
I stopped talking knowing he knew what I meant and that I didn't have to finish what I had been saying. For the second time that day tears leaked down my cheeks but this time I let them fall. I looked away from Race. He walked to me and hugged me.  
  
"I'm no good at holdin it in..." I said through my tears.  
  
"Hey Doodles," he said, "don't worry we'll take care of ye no matter what."  
  
"Thanks.", I said as he let me rid my tears on his shoulder. 


	6. Day at the Tracks

The next morning I woke to Race who was waking me up by poking me. I squirmed, I was very ticklish, and attempted to slap his hand away even though I was still half dead. He realized I was ticklish and stopped poking me and just began to tickle me.  
  
"Stoppit ye ass!" I said laughing hysterically.  
  
"Wake up sunshine." he said in a singsong voice.  
  
"You," I paused for air, "Are a cruel poisen."  
  
He finally stopped tickling me, thank god, and reminded me that we were gonna sell together that day.  
  
"Ok, I said, "Get out so I can dressed."  
  
He left and I pulled on a pair of pants and a shirt and remembering, I also grabbed my much loved plaid, newsie hat. I walked out into the hall and wondering where Race had gone followed the noises of boy's voices down to a doorway. I looked in and saw most of the newsies getting ready for sellin. Race was by the mirror shaving. I watched him until he was done then he turned and saw me.  
  
"Question" I said, "Why do ye gotta shave? Didn't have anythin in de foist place"  
  
He threw shaving cream at me. I laughed "let's go."  
  
We left the lodging house before most of the other newsies and walked to the distribution center, a few blocks away. Before we entered the gates Race stopped me.  
  
"Jus so ye know Oscar and Morris are de ones handin out de papes so jus let me do th talkin."  
  
That was fine by me so I nodded and we went to get our papes.  
  
"Hundred papes." Race said immediatly as we got to the head of the line.  
  
"Well, well." the Delancy brother Morris said as he saw us, "If it ain't little miss oiphan."  
  
"My whudd a beautifoil coluer dat eye of yers is t'day.', Race said  
sweetly about Morris's black  
and purple eye, his eyes hard.  
  
"Move along, move along." the man sellin the papers said urging us to  
go.  
  
We left with Oscar and Morris sneering after us.  
  
We had sold our hundred papes by lunch time and headed to Tibby's which was crowded with newsies.  
  
"Racetrack, hows it goin?"  
  
"Hey Race."  
  
Greetings for Race came from all sides and I could feel eyes watching me too.  
  
"Doodles this is Boots, Skittery, you know Mush, Blink, Crutchy, and Bumlets." Race introduced us.  
  
"Hi.", I said smiling at them all.  
  
"Racetrack yer pretty slick." Blink commented with a smile.  
  
I confused, looked at Race questioningly who said a little quickly "Hungry?"  
  
We finished eating and now had the whole afternoon to waste away before we were going to meet Jack, Spot, Bailey, and Angel to decide what to do about the situation of Shadow.  
  
"Do ye want te go te de tracks?" Race asked me as we walked outta Tibby's. Me curious about Race and the tracks agreed.  
  
He had gotten a tip on a horse named Blitz and though it was close, he pulled though to the finish line. "Good te have satisfied costamers if ye know what I mean" he commented with a wink. This put Race in a good mood and we had a good time for the rest of the day. This also helped me to put what had happened last night at the back of my mind. We headed back to the lodging house late and both a little sunburned.  
  
"So..." Race said, "What're we gonna do 'bout ye and Shadow?"  
  
I had been hoping to avoid this subject and I looked away.  
  
"Can we talk about dis tomorrow or later or sometin?" I said almost pleadingly. "I had such a good time t'day an I don't wanna ruin it at least fer t'night. I don wante be scared." I felt ashamed.  
  
"Alright.", Race replied and immediately changed the subject. "How did ye like de races?"  
  
"Thanks.", I smiled, "and I loved them."  
  
By this time we were getting close to the lodging house and had just passed the distribution center when Race held out an arm and stopped me.  
  
"Shh.", he motioned at me and I followed him into an alley next to us where we hid behind some trash bins.  
  
"Whudd is it?" I asked but then I heard voices.  
  
"How de hell could we have lost em?" an angry voice said.  
  
"Dunno but I bet it was yer fault." a second sarcastic voice replied.  
  
"Ye dumbasses th' reason we lost em was cuza all yer yappin'. Can't you two shutcher pie holes once in a while?!" the third voice came from another older man.  
  
"Shuddup!" a fourth voice said in a whisper joining the first three who had been busy arguing. "If dey is hidin around hea den dey can hea youse blabber mouths. Remember I'm de leada right now cause it's my goil we're followin hea. De only reason I'm gonna let youse have yer fun is cause I'm nice. Remember dat."  
  
I was frozen to the spot and couldn't have moved if I had wanted to. That voice I recognized only too well and though it seemed like a million years behind me it had only been a few days since I last heard it. Shadow was so close to me I could practically smell him and believe me that wasn't a good thing. Though I was frozen I suddenly felt the anger bubble up like molten lava inside me and tryed to get up. But Race pressed close to me, grabbed me and held me down. I didn't fight because as soon as he had done so I had thought of how stupid that really would have been. Me and Race up against four older men? Two from the Crypts as I had recognized the third speaker as the bastard excuse for a human I had exchanged punches with last night. The other two I had identified as Oscar and Morris Delancy. Plus who knows if there were others searching for us?  
  
The four continued walking down the street now keeping their voices down, though not enough because I could still hear the angry murmer of them. Finally the voices faded away all together and me and Race sat in silence together for a few minutes just to make sure they were really gone. I spoke first.  
  
"So much fer not talkin about it." I gave him a weak smile.  
  
"Yeah..." Race said with a sigh. "Well we knew dey'd find ye sooner or later. I guess we just hoped fer lata." He returned my weak smile with one of his own.  
  
"I'm sorry I tried to get up and everythin. I'm really a mess."  
  
"Don't worry about it. Its gotta be hard and it was only a few days ago when everythin got messed up.", Race said comforting me. "I think you'll get betta. Most people do and I'd say yer just as strong as all of them."  
  
"Thanks." I said in a small voice. "Well at least I can look on de bright side. If Shadow hadn't murdered me mudder three days ago I wouldn't know you or Bailey, or Jack, or Angel, or Spot, or any o de odda newsies."  
  
"Whudd ye be sad te go now afta ye knows us?" Race asked.  
  
"Yeah, I woulda been sad." I told him. "And now yer gonna hafta stick wid me fer a while."  
  
"We don't mind ye knows dat right?"  
  
"Yeah I think I do now." I replied.  
  
Race got up and held out his hands and grabbed mine, pulling me up. Then we walked hand in hand together back to the lodging house. 


	7. What are Friends For

We entered and saw Jack pacing in the entry way, Bailey looking on.  
  
"Were da hell have youse been?" he practically yelled at us. "Do ye have any idea what time it is?"  
  
"Whoa hold on deyre Cowboy." Race said. "Calm down, were fine."  
  
"Yeah Jack ye not me fadder." I teased him.  
  
Jack turned and glared at me. "Don't mess wid me right now Brin."  
  
I shut up.  
  
"Whudd happend?" Race asked quickly realizing something was really wrong.  
  
"Some o de Crypts came around lookin fer ye hea." Jack looked at me. "Dey led us ta believe dey had some guys out lookin fer ye includin our Delancy brodda pals and Shadow himself."  
  
"We coulda soaked em but we didn't think we should just in case dey caught ye. We didn't know whudd deyed do te ye." Bailey put in and I could see she had been worried too.  
  
"So where were ye?" Jack asked having calmed down some.  
  
"We actually ran into dem and it coulda been bad but lucky fer us deyre stupid." Race said. "I looked behind me an Doodles and I saw deyre shadows from behind da corner."  
  
"And Shadow was wid dem.", I put in. "Good thing Race heas payin attention."  
  
"So I guess dey're afta ye already." Jack said to no one in particular. "We're gonna have te figure out how ta keep ye safe fer now at least."  
  
"Where are Spot an Angel?" I asked suddenly remembering and wondering why Jack hadn't kept them up as well.  
  
"Dey went ta Brooklyn taday. But dey neva came back. I guess deyre plannin on comin back tomorrow" Bailey told me. "Hey Jack, maybe Doodles could go ta Brooklyn for awhile te hide from Shadow."  
  
"Good thinkin." Jack replied back to Bailey with a smile. "Why don't we ask em when dey come back?"  
  
"Ooook.", I said on a big yawn. "Can we go ta bed now or do we have ta keep discussin dis?"  
  
"Hey dis is fer yer benefit, don't be a smart ass." Race said teasingly. "But really Doodles ye should take all dis a little more seriously."  
  
"Races' right.", Jack told me just as seriously.  
  
"Ok." I said, "Believe me I know its serious, I do, but I'm too tired ta concentrate on bein serious."  
  
"Alright, lets go te bed. Doodles ain't the only one who's tired.", Bailey said.  
  
We all walked up the stairs together talking about lighter topics like our day at the tracks. Me and Racetrack said goodnight to Jack and Bailey then walked to our room and both of us immediately collapsed onto our bunks.  
  
"Goodnight Race." I said to him, " And thanks fer lookin out fer me."  
  
"My pleasure." he replied to me with the specific charm only Race had. "Goodnight Brin."  
  
Race woke up in the middle of the night. Not that he had been sleeping all that well in the first place anyways. He lay awake in his bed and listened to Doodles, Brin, breath peacefully in her sleep. He wondered if she realized how much he already cared for her in the three days she had known him. Although he had had girls before they had been different from Doodles. She was... he sighed, "Why am I acting like dis?!" he asked himself quietly in the dark. He didn't understand but he knew that he wanted her to be his goil and he would protect her from being hurt however it needed to be done. If she asked he would probably even give up smoking and gambling... God he hoped she wouldn't ask him to do that! Race closed his eyes and his last thought before he drifted off into a deep sleep was of Doodles.  
  
Jack woke up the next morning and found that Bailey had already gotten up. He guessed where she might be and went up to the roof. She was sitting up there so calm and beautiful he wondered how he had gotten so lucky to have her choose him.  
  
"Good mornin." He said as he sat down next to her and gave her a kiss on the forehead.  
  
She looked up suprised. "Good morning, I didn't hea ye."  
  
"Whudd were ye thinkin about?" Jack asked her.  
  
"Whudd else but Doodles." she said. "Its funny how we've only known her fer a few days and she's already a big part of oua lives."  
  
"Yeah.", Jack said. "Her and Race have really hit it off don't ya think?"  
  
"I know." Bailey replied with a small grin, "I wonder if dey even realize how poifect dey are fer each odda?"  
  
"It's about time Race got interested in a goil again."  
  
"Don't be mean." Bailey said trying to hide a smile. "Its good fer 'im dough."  
  
"Why don't we get our papes so we can meet Angel and Spot at Tibby's fer lunch. We can ask em about Doodles stayin in Brooklyn." Jack said getting up.  
  
"Ok.", Bailey agreed. "We should tell Race and Doodles so dey can meet us dere."  
  
"Good idea." Jack said. "Let's go."  
  
I could hear a distant knocking and I subconsciously dismissed it as part of my dream about mother. The knocking continued and in my dream I could see the gun lifted then... Bang! I was jolted from my dream slash nightmare and realized the knocking was someone at the door. I got up, stumbling and almost falling because of the blanket wrapped around my legs. I got to the door in one piece and opened it to a very awake, unlike me, Bailey and Jack.  
  
"Just wake up?" Jack asked as though he was serious.  
  
"No.", I said my voice dripping with sarcasm.  
  
"Well good mornin to ye too." Bailey said. "We just wanted te tell ye te meet us at Tibby's fer lunch. We can talk te Angel an Spot."  
  
"Ok.", I said still drowsy. "See ya later."  
  
"Whudds goin on over deyre?" came a voice from the top bunk.  
  
"Ah," I said still half sleeping myself. "The dead has arisen."  
  
"Lets leave these two eoily boids tegedda." Jack said laughing. "Dey're too strange in de mornin." "See ya later Doodles." Bailey said to me. "Bye Race." she called to the lump of blankets that was Racetrack.  
  
The only reply was a grunt as Jack and Bailey left, chucking at us.  
  
"I'm definitely not a mornin person." I said dryly. 


	8. Something Amiss in Brooklyn

Me and Race had just finished selling our papes and we're headed to Tibby's to meet Spot and Angel as well as Bailey and Jack. As we walked down the sunny, busy street we talked about nothing in particular and enjoyed ourselves. When we got to Tibby's there was the usual crowd of newsies but we found Jack sitting at a table watching us approach.  
  
"Have ye seen any sign of Angel or Spot?" He asked us as we sat down next to him.  
  
"No, is dere sumthin the matter?" Race asked.  
  
"Deyre not here and I just was wonderin if ye seen em around." He commented as he looked up as Bailey came to our table.  
  
"None o de odda newsies have seen em eidda." she said to Jack. "Hey Doodles, hey Race."  
  
"Hi.", I replied. "Maybe dey're just runnin a little late."  
  
"Probaly, ye know it is Spot." Race commented, "No manners."  
  
Jack nodded with a laugh. "Yer probaly right. Let's wait a while."  
  
So we waited but Spot and Angel never showed up at Tibby's. We had been sitting there for an hour and a quarter talking, with Race telling the occasional raunchy joke just to pass the time. When we actually figured out what time it was we began to get a little worried.  
  
"Ye don't think dey fergot do ya?" I said curious why they still hadn't shown.  
  
"No I don think dey would. Dey was plannin on goin ta Meddas tonight to see da new act." Bailey commented. She looked more worried than everyone else but maybe that was because it was her sister.  
  
"Maybe dey thought we was gonna meet em somewheres else?" Jack suggested. "Why don't we leave and split up to look fer dem? Doodles, Race check de lodgin house. Me an Bailey will check Meddas and anywhere we can look on da way."  
  
"Always the leader." Race said with a smile. "Good thinkin." He added a wink for my benefit.  
  
So we split up saying we'd meet each other back at Tibby's around dinner time hopefully one of us with Angel and Spot. Race and me set out for the lodging house at a brisk pace hoping to find Angel and Spot there. We got there and only a few bored newsies were around. Mush, Bumlets, Pie Eater, and Kid Blink had a poker game going.  
  
"Hey guys." Race said walking over to them.  
  
"Wanna take a hand?" Kid Blink said to him.  
  
"Naw can't.", Race replied. "Were lookin fer Spot an Angel, have ye seen em?"  
  
"Dey commin back taday?" Mush asked.  
  
"Dey were supposed to." Race said.  
  
"I haven't seen em." Bumlets commented.  
  
"Ye think we woulda, if dey came back from Brooklyn taday." Blink said looking thoughtful.  
  
"Yea dey missed lunch wid us." I put in.  
  
"Why don't we check ta see if dey're upstairs?" Mush said.  
  
"Yeah whudd would dey be doin up dere huh?" Blink said snickering.  
  
"Shuddup will ye?" I said irritated because I was worried as well, "Lets just go check ok?"  
  
So we went upstairs the rest of the newsies who had been in the poker game following along. We checked their room and then when they weren't there we checked all the other rooms on the upper floors. As I had suspected they weren't there.  
  
"I guess we should go meet Jack and Bailey now." Race said after we had searched everywhere we could think of in and around the lodging house. To the other newsies still hanging around us I said, "If dey show up here den send Runner fer me or Jack."  
  
I said, "Lets hope they had more luck than we did."  
  
Jack and Bailey showed up at Tibbys about ten minutes after we had gotten there and as they sat down at the table I could tell from their expressions that they had been just as successful as me and Race. "No luck?" Jack asked.  
  
"No, you?" Race asked back.  
  
"Nope. I'm worried about dem." Jack said.  
  
"I think we need to go to Brooklyn to see whudd happened to em." Bailey said looking even more worried than she had earlier that day.  
  
"I guess so.", I said.  
  
"We should probaly go tonight before it gets to late just in case sumthin is really wrong.", Jack decided.  
  
"Alright let's go." Race decided and got up from the table. 


	9. Close Shave

It was a long walk to Brooklyn and by the time we got to the bridge it was dark. From the bridge it was only a short walk to the Brooklyn Newsies' Lodging House. We walked inside, Jack leading the way.  
  
"Well, if it ain't Cowboy." a tall muscular boy said walking up to him.  
  
"How's it goin Sketch? We're lookin fer Spot. He around?"  
  
"No...We haven't seen Spot since las night." the boy named Sketch replied with a guarded expression.  
  
"Whudd happened? An whudd 'bout Angel?" Jack asked. "Dey were supposed ta meet us fer lunch taday."  
  
"Well were not exactly sure whudd happened. But a group of de Crypts showed up late last night lookin fer some goil. I have no idea who she is but I think Spot did. Dey're was a big fight but I don't exactly how it was started. Spot disappeared wid Angel and nobodys seen em since."  
  
Right then the door opened and Spot walked in carrying Angel. We all stared at them for a moment and Bailey moved first.  
  
"Angel! Spot is she hoit?"  
  
"Yea.", Spot looked exhausted. "She twisted her ankle and is a little bruised up too. She's sleepin now."  
  
All of a sudden I felt really guilty. This wouldn't have happened if it hadn't been for me. All I was doing was hurting the people who had come to be my friends in the few days I had known them.  
  
"Where'd ye go?" Jack asked Spot.  
  
"We've kinda been just around Brooklyn fer de entia day, lyin low. We didn't know if dey'd still be lookin fer us."  
  
"Who was it?" Race asked.  
  
"Shadow o course along wid da Crypts." Spot replied. "Look, I gotta get her in te bed." he said indicating Angel. "Let discuss dis in de moinin."  
  
"Alright. Do ye need help?" Jack asked as Spot walked to the stairs and began to carry Angel up them.  
  
"Naw, whudd good would I be if I couldn't even take care o me own goil?" he said with a little smile.  
  
After Spot had gone upstairs we decided we obviously had to stay at the Brooklyn Lodging House. Since there was a shortage of beds Race and me were put together since Bailey was sharing one with Jack. This was kinda strange for me and as the beds were kinda small and really meant for only one person, Race and me ended up kind of pushed together. Not that I really minded though... I had begun to realize I had feelings for my pretty much constant companion who was Race. He was really funny, strange, and much different from anyone I had ever met before. And on top of that he was a sweet, understanding person as well even though he might not seem that way when you first meet him. Though life had gotten very strange and confusing in the few days since my mother's murder I was glad because I now knew Racetrack.  
  
As I was lying there in the dark, Race so close to me I could feel his breath on the back of my head, I thought of something.  
  
"Race?"  
  
"Yea?"  
  
"Whudds yer real name? I mean, ye do have one right?"  
  
"Yea I do have one. Me real names Anthony or Tony...Higgins. Dats whudd dey called me before I came ta Manhattan an became a newsie."  
  
"Whos dey?" I asked curious.  
  
"Me fadder." he said shortly.  
  
I wasn't sure if I should pry into the topic or not. But then he knew all about my life, I wanted to know about his.  
  
"Umm...wheres he?"  
  
"Don't know, don't care."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Let's just say he wasn't de kinda dad a kid wants. Not da paternal type i guess. Anyways I ran away."  
  
"Whudd about yer mudda?" I felt bad prying but for some reason I still pressed on.  
  
"Dunno...all my memory o her is when I was a baby I think. I rememba her singin to me. But I'm not sure whudd happened to her...me fadder neva told me." He said a little sadly.  
  
"Oh." I said and rolled over so I was facing him in the dark. "I'm sorry if dis makes ye sad... I just want te loin about ye."  
  
There was a pause.  
  
"He beat me."  
  
Those simple words just made my heart ache for Race. No kid should have to go though that no matter what they did or how bad they were.  
  
"I left when I was eleven. I hopped a train den came te Manhattan and made friends wid Jack who helped me te become a newsie."  
  
One tear had leaked out of my eye and I managed to keep back the rest. But this time my crying wasn't for me, like it mostly had been for the past three days, it was for Race. I put my arms around him and held on to him without saying anything.  
  
"Ye don't have te be sorry for me. I got over it." But nevertheless he put his arms around me a held me back.  
  
"Well...I guess I can't help but feel sorry since I'm too late to do anythin else."  
  
"How can ye care so much about odda people and not so much about yerself?"  
  
I didn't have anything to say to that and I wouldn't have been able to because right then he leaned forward and kissed me. It was brief but sweet and he had caught me off guard.  
  
I cleared my throat. "Whudd was dat for? I asked a little bewildered about what had just happened.  
  
"I dunno...fer bein you, because I felt like it."  
  
"Ok.", I replied and content with that I kissed him again and we lay there a while, silent, before we fell asleep in each other's arms. 


	10. Goil Stuff

The next day we woke up and I was confused for a minute. Why was there a boy in my bed with his arms around me? Oh duh, I remembered, we're at the Brooklyn Lodging House. Then I remembered Angel and hoped to god she was ok and if she wasn't I didn't know what I'd do since it was pretty much my fault she got hurt in the first place. Then I remembered Race (Anthony) and how we had kissed the night before. My cheeks grew hot at the thought but I was still happy and wondered if maybe, just maybe I could be Race's goil. Race moved and I turned towards him. He opened his eyes and looked at me.  
  
"Good mornin." I said to him smiling.  
  
"At least I have somethin good te wake up to." he replied with a sleepy smile. Race also remembered what had happened last night and though his cheeks didn't get hot he was still very happy.  
  
"Sleep ok?" I asked him.  
  
"Surprisingly yea. Well maybe not so surprising, considering." he said with a grin.  
  
I giggled, felt like an airhead, and sat up. "I'm gonna check on Angel, see if she's ok."  
  
"Alright. I'll be dere in a few minutes." he replied.  
  
I found Angel sitting up in bed talking to Spot who was sitting on the bed next to her. Her face had a few purple marks but she looked to be in a happy mood nonetheless.  
  
"Good mornin. How ye feelin?" I said walking to the bed and sitting on the opposite side of the bed from Spot.  
  
"Well, I'm ok. I've had worse." she said with a weak smile.  
  
"Just because ye've had worse doesn't mean dis ain't as bad. Ye should try te stay unhoit ta begin with." Spot said irritated.  
  
"Don't mind him. He really is just a sweet guy under da tough guy mask." Angel said to me with a laugh.  
  
"Geez Ang, don't give me away." Spot said smiling now. "But I worry about ye. Doodles, make sure she stays in bed. I'm gonna go get some breakfast fer us."  
  
"Ok." I replied.  
  
"So...how's Race?" Angel asked me slyly.  
  
"Uhh... fine I guess." I said turning a little red in spite of myself. "Why do ye ask?"  
  
"Well ye just look a little happier dan normal dis mornin. And I thought maybe somethin happened", her voice was filled with hints.  
  
"Geez whudd is it wid goil senses?" I asked her with an embarrassed laugh. "Ok, we were talkin last night in bed--"  
  
Angel's eyebrows shot up and I got what she thought I meant when I said 'in bed'.  
  
"Angel, get yer mind outta de gutter! I didn't do anythin like whudd yer talkin about!" I exclaimed now feeling stupid for some reason, not just embarrassed. "We was talkin about how he came ta Manhattan and we kissed."  
  
"Race told ye about before he bacame a newsie?" she asked.  
  
"Yea so?"  
  
"I don't think he's ever told anyone really except fer Jack. You must mean sumthin te him." Angel said then she said. "Dats so exciting! Did he ask ye ta be his goil?"  
  
"No but I hope he will. He's such a funny, nice, easy te talk te--" and mid- sentance the funny, nice, easy to talk to guy walked into the room.  
  
Angel grinned and said good morning to him. Race looked at Angel said good morning than looked at me and seeing her grin and my red ears (red from being embarrassed) he asked what we had been talking about.  
  
"Goil stuff." Angel said with a giggle.  
  
"I really don't see how it's funny." I said trying to disguise a snort as I was holding in my own giggles.  
  
Angel wasn't fooled by the 'disguised' snort and hearing burst into full fledged laughter and it being contagious, I laughed too. Race however didn't get the joke (whatever it was) and rolling his eyes said very distinctly said "goils", to him self in an exasperated tone.  
  
To us still laughing like the loons we are, he said "I'm goin te find Jack. At least he's a nice, simple, understandable guy."  
  
"Bye.", I said though still weak with laughter.  
  
A few minutes later Bailey walked in.  
  
"I hoid ye were being incomprehensible goils so I thought I'd see what ye were bein so weird about."  
  
"Wow I'm glad ye two finally got sumthin goin." Bailey said to me after I told her about the previous night.  
  
"Wudder ye talkin about?" I asked.  
  
"Well," Angel said, "we could all tell dat ye an Race'd make a good couple. But we decided te be good children and leave ye two alone."  
  
"Well... (I was a little speechless) I've only known 'im fer a few days."  
  
"So dat don't matter." Bailey said. "Anyways dats really great. Did he ask ye ta be his goil?"  
  
"No..." I said blushing.  
  
"Are ye gonna ask him?" she asked.  
  
"I don think so...well we'll see." I replied as Angel and Bailey both grinned. 


	11. Guilt and Deception

Later that day I went outside to get some fresh air. I had been in with Angel all day since I still felt bad about all her injuries. I still told myself they were my fault though I hadn't done the actual hitting they wouldn't have come to Brooklyn if not for me. As I was standing there I saw two boys approaching. They looked to be in a hurry and to me they looked oddly familiar. As they approached I saw that one was older than the other maybe 18 or 19. The other was around 10 and both were good looking. They saw me as they came to the door of the lodging house.  
  
"Hi.", I said to them.  
  
"Who are ye?" the younger boy asked me looking puzzled.  
  
"Me names' Doodles, whudd's yers?"  
  
"Me name's Kevin." he replied proudly. "Were hea te see Ang. Dis is me olda brodda Scott."  
  
Scott, de olda brodda looked distracted. "Is she ok?" he asked me worridly.  
  
"She's doin pretty good. How de ye know her?" I replied than asked.  
  
"She's oua sista." Kevin replied.  
  
That would explain why they looked familiar to me.  
  
"Oh she's awake why don't ye go in?"  
  
I joined them as they walked quickly to the door of Spot and Angel's room and pushed it open.  
  
"Scott, Kevin! Whudder ye doin hea?" Angel exclaimed. "Why aren't ye at Toby's?", though she did look happy to see them.  
  
"We hoid whud happened dis mornin through some o da Queen's newsies and started back right away. Are ye sure yer alright?" Scott asked like a worried parent.  
  
"Yea, yea I'm fine. Don't worry bout it." Angel said. "Besides dey won't even let me get up an Spots been carryin me around when I need ta go somewhere."  
  
Scott turned to look at Spot, who had been in the room before we came in. "Glad yer takin care of her.", he said with a smile at Spot.  
  
Just then the door opened again and Jack, Bailey, and Race walked in.  
  
"Oh, hey Scott, hey Kevin. How ye doin?" Jack greeted them.  
  
"Not bad except Ang's gettin hoiself inta trouble again." Scott said. "By da way who wus it anyways? I'm gonna soak em!"  
  
The room fell silent and Angel, Bailey, Spot, Jack, and Race all looked at me.  
  
"Whudd?!" I didn't know what they wanted me to say. "Ok it's me fault! Da people who hoit Angel were afta me an came hea lookin fer me. Dats all I have ta say about it."  
  
I didn't know why but I just felt so angry and it might not have even been anger at them. Maybe it was anger at myself or the way my life was being messed up by Shadow and the Crypts. Whatever the reason I stormed from the room and went outside. I went to the docks and there were a few newsies hanging around but they didn't bother me. I sat down and dangled my feet over the edge as I thought. I didn't know what to do. I thought up solutions but none were what I wanted. I could run away, but that would mean leaving Race as well as everyone else. I could continue on this way, moving from lodging house to lodging house but that way everyone would be in danger of getting hurt just like Angel did. Not to mention what kind of life would that be for my friends and me? I needed to get Shadow and the rest of the Crypts, not to mention the Delancys to stop looking for me but I had no good ideas. As I was thinking a shadow fell over me and I looked up. Above me stood an older newsie I hadn't yet met and he looked foreboding but then again, which Brooklyn newsie didn't?  
  
"Hey, its Doodles right?" he asked me.  
  
"Yea. Whudds yer name?"  
  
"Dey calls me uh... Patrick."  
  
"Nice ta meet ya uh...Patrick. Whudd no nickname?" I said smiling and held out a hand. He shook it quickly than sat down next to me.  
  
"No. Ye look a little troubled." he commented.  
  
"Yea. I'm tryin ta think of a solution fer whudd te do bout...Ye've hoid about..." I said pausing.  
  
"Yea I have."  
  
"Well I don't want dem te hoit any odda of da newsies. I feel like it's me fault fer Angel bein hoit." I said ashamed, not meeting his gaze.  
  
"Foist rule whid newsies, well one o de foist, is dat we stick tegedder." he said (though this actually was pretty true he was making up on the spot). "Yer gonna halfta relize dat de friends ye made are gonna stick wid ye no matter whudd." He lied through his teeth.  
  
I thought about this. "Ye know maybe yer right but it's goin against me stubborness."  
  
"Get used to it an I bet ye can all handle dis situation betta tagedda." he said rolling his eyes and not believing he was even saying this corny shit. I didn't notice. "Why don ye go fer a walk an think about id all." Patrick suggested slyly.  
  
"Thanks a lot." I said smiling at him and getting up. "If anyone asks tell em I went fer a walk ok? See ya later."  
  
"See ya." Patrick (though that wasn't his real name) said watching her walk away. "Fer good." he said to himself with a chuckle.  
  
I was totally oblivious to the lies of "Patrick". I was thinking about the things he had said and wasn't paying to much attention to where I was going. I just noted places I passed so I could get back to the lodging house.  
  
Later I realized it was getting dark and wondered how long I had been out. I had gotten distracted thinking about everything. I hoped that they wouldn't be mad at me for staying out and even going out at all. I turned and began to walk back down the street I had just come up. I paused at the corner and tried to remember a good route back to the lodging house.  
  
"Hmmm...I go down here dan past dose houses den..." I broke off my thinking to myself when I thought I heard something. I didn't here anything anymore after a moment of listening. It was probably my imagination. That was when the stars exploded in my head and everything went black. 


	12. Escape

I woke up and there was no light. My head throbbed and for a moment all I could see was stars in front of my eyes but after a few minutes my vision cleared. I saw I was in a small unlit, unfurnished room with a single window, lying on the floor. There were some men standing by the opposite wall and to my horror I recognized them, it was the one and only Shadow as well as his usual cronies, the Crypts. I couldn't see all of Shadow's face, which then made me realize I never had it was always hidden in a cover of darkness. My heart began to pound as much as my head and I began to struggle with the rope that tied me up, which I hadn't realized was there until just then.  
  
Suddenly a new face showed up in my line of vision. It was Patrick.  
  
"Hey she's awake! Let da fun begin." he said almost excitidly.  
  
"Whudds goin on Patrick?" I asked in a croaky voice confused and disoriented.  
  
"Foist of all darlin it ain't Patrick. Me names Razor an I ain't yer goddamn friend eidda."  
  
I sat still for a moment, taking all this in than said in the most intimidating tone I could manage while lying on the floor, "You bastard, let me go."  
  
"Or whudd? You gonna send yer baby friends on me?" he replied with a sneer. "I play wid da big kids toots."  
  
"Ok, ok." that haunting voice said and I froze, "Dats enough, why don't we get down ta business?"  
  
"Whudd are ye gonna do ta me? I didn't even do anything in da foist place! The only thing I did do was not dying when ye tried te kill me." I yelled at him, hate bubbling inside me and coming out in the form of words.  
  
"Exactly." Shadow said simply, "We all want you to die very much don't we boys? We're just gonna have a bit of fun foist."  
  
The first kick was blindingly painful and I lay crumpled wheezing for air.  
  
"Why don't ye at least untie me? I can try to defend meself from youse....," I broke off as I couldn't think of a name foul enough for the disgusting men in front of me.  
  
Shadow thought about it for a moment than nodded to Razor and another Crypt and they bent down and untied me.  
  
"Dis might be interesting." Shadow said with an evil smirk on his face. "Now prepare to die less gracefully dan yer mudda."  
  
I used the wall behind me for support and stood up slowly, looking around me at the six intimidating and disgusting excuses for human beings. I was thinking fast however, trying to figure out a means of escape. But at that moment at a nod from Shadow, Razor lunged at me. He grabbed my throat and began to choke me. I couldn't breath but reached out and jabbed at his eyes. I hit target and he yelled and pulled away from me. Now the adrenaline was pumping through me I moved faster. I headed for Shadow but was grabbed from behind by another man. I pulled my arm forward and jammed my elbow into his groin. This made him also let go of me. But then the bully in all of them took over and two men I had not yet injured lunged for me and while one grabbed my arms and pulled them behind my back in a very painful manner, the other pummeled me with his fists. The pain was extreme and I had never been hit like this before. Finally they stopped and I dropped to the floor in pain and breathless.  
  
Shadow was chuckling. I could hear him through the haze of pain in my head. The room was spinning so I just laid there on the floor. Then I saw it. One of them must have dropped it. I could see part of the handle of the knife gleaming where the moonlight from the window hit it. It was just in reach but I didn't want them to notice me trying to get it and pick it up. I pretended to roll around on the floor in pain therefore rolling closer to the knife until it was right by my left hand. I picked it up and felt the sharp edge of the blade in my fingers. Someone approached me; I could tell it was Shadow, because of his foul smell.  
  
"Ye liked dat didn't ye?" he said to me with an evil snicker, beginning to bend down to get in my face. "Do you want some more?"  
  
He was only about a foot away. I struck out with the knife and it connected with some part of him but I wasn't sure where. He was yelling as I jumped to my feet then almost fell again because of the tremendous pain. I headed for the window because some of the Crypts were still standing by the door. I punched the glass and it cut me but I didn't feel it. All I could think of was getting out. I climbed onto the sill and thanked the lord that we weren't on a second story. It was just a short jump down and then I was on the ground out of the building. I could hear however the bang of the door being opened forcefully on the front of the building which meant they were coming after me. I didn't know how I did it but I was up and running. At this point I couldn't even think anymore I just ran. I ran past buildings and down streets. I ran so much and I didn't even know if the men were still chasing me. I came to some docks though these did not look like the ones by the Brooklyn lodging house. I stopped running to catch my breath and then I saw nothing else. 


	13. Midnight Search

Race was worried sick. "Where is she?" he kept muttering to himself. He was kicking himself because he hadn't gone outside with her and now she was gone. Maybe she was ok but than again there were so many bad things that could happen to a girl by herself let alone if she had a very dangerous group of men after her. He had no idea where to look for her and what if she was lost. It was already pitch dark outside and it was possible she was lost since he didn't think that she had ever been to Brooklyn before. "Any sign of her?" Jack asked as he walked up beside Race.  
  
"No.", Race replied in a strained tone of voice. "I gotta go look fer her."  
  
"Yea, I'll go wid ye." Jack said. "I just gotta tell Bailey an everyone else where were goin foist."  
  
Race paced outside the door of the lodgin house still muttering to himself. It seemed to take Jack forever to come back out again. When he did Spot and two newsies by the names of Frit and Snipeshooter, were with him.  
  
"We're comin too." Spot told Race.  
  
"Ok, whuddeva lets just hurry up."  
  
They walked all over Brooklyn that night without a sign of Doodles anywhere. As they were walking down yet another dark street they saw a group of men standing by a building talking in loud, angry voices. As they approached the group Race could tell that one of the men was Shadow, and the rest looked like Crypts as well.  
  
"Alright, whudd did ye do te her?!" Race exploded.  
  
"Well, well if it ain't her little friends." One of the men said tauntingly. "Ye should teach that goil friend of yers not te be so trusting."  
  
"Whudd de ye mean?" Race said suspiciously.  
  
"Oh I don't know I'm sure you'll hear all about it lata."  
  
"So she's alive?" Race said trying to keep his voice normal and not too hopeful.  
  
"Well I don't know she got—"  
  
He was cut off before he finished.  
  
"Shuddup ye fool its no wonder she got away from us. Ye guys are—", then he broke off as well and realizing what he had said made him shut up.  
  
Behind him Jack, Spot, and the other newsies were chuckling. Race had a smile on his face as well because of the Crypt's stupidity. But his mind was still on Doodles.  
  
"Where is she?" Jack said, he had stopped laughing. "Whudd ye do to her?" he asked when they didn't answer the first question.  
  
They didn't answer and just walked off laughing.  
  
Shadow turned though, when they reached the corner and yelled out. "Ye betta watch yeselfs an da little bitch. Shes gonna get it!.", and with that they were out of sight.  
  
Now all of the search party for Doodles was really worried. It was past two in the morning and still no sign from her and not even from Sketch who Spot had sent out earlier. They walked around some more still hoping to find at least one trace of where she might be and hoping that they would find her alive. They headed toward the docks because they hadn't searched there yet. They split up when they got there Jack and Race taking the upper side and Spot, Snipeshooter, and Frit taking the other. Race and Jack walked together towards one of the buildings nearby. Race squinted into the dark.  
  
"Whudds dat?" he asked. He could make out an even darker lump against the blackness. He and Jack approached whatever it was with caution. It was Doodles. She was beat up bad, her face swelled, black and blue. There was some blood as well though Race couldn't tell where it was coming from. Both he and Jack rushed forward and bent down beside her. "Shit" Race swore viciously as he quickly checked for a pulse. He let out a small sigh of relief when he found a pulse, small, but still there, in her wrist. So she was just unconscious, not dead.  
  
"Lets get her back te de lodgin house." Jack said.  
  
Race nodded to him and then picked Doodles up carefully.  
  
They quickly found the others and made it back to the lodging house in a few minutes.  
  
Race carried Doodles upstairs to their room and then looked at her injuries. Besides being badly bruised and swollen, her leg and arms were badly cut from something. Her lip was swollen and bloody as well. Race couldn't really do anything besides bandage up the cuts and place cold cloths on her swelling. Then he placed a kiss on her forehead and went to his bed on the floor. 


	14. Will You?

I awoke the next morning and wondered if I had died and gone to hell. The soreness and pain was all over my body. I moaned and tried to remember what had taken place the previous night. All I could remember was Shadow and the Crypts and them telling me I was about to die. Oh wait the knife I had used on Shadow, the window I escaped from, being chased and running for a lifetime. Then fighting back after they had untied me and all the pain; The glass from the window, the fists of Shadow and the Crypts. I moaned again all the thinking was hurting my brain and I couldn't seem to get my voice to work. I suddenly heard a grunt from somewhere below me.  
  
"Doodles?"  
  
I recognized that voice, it was Race, but what was he doing on the floor? I attempted to sit up but until then I hadn't realized how bad I was hurt. The room went black.  
  
I woke up what seemed to be only a few seconds after I had blacked out again. I could see Race hovering above me.  
  
"Damnit, don't move." he said sounding angry and worried.  
  
"I'm sorry." I croaked out. "Am I really hoit dat bad?"  
  
"Yea", Race replied. "Yer gonna halfta stay in bed fer a few days at least. Dey beat ya pretty good. Any idea how ye got all dose cuts? Dey didn't use a knife on ye did dey?!", Race sounding like if they had hey was gonna storm out of the room right that second and send them straight to hell.  
  
"Naw, it was kinda de odda way around." I said thinking of the knife I used on Shadow. "Actually de cuts were from da window."  
  
"Window?" Race said questioningly. "An whudd do ye mean de odda way around?"  
  
"Well, I had te escape out de winda cause dey was blockin da door so I broke da glass. And I managed to distract em by gettin Shadow wid a knife. I'm not exactly sure where dough."  
  
Race looked very suprised by my last comment. "Ye stabbed Shadow?"  
  
"Well I dunno if I stabbed im. Hea why don I just tell ye da entia story."  
  
So I told Race da story as best I could remember which was pretty good considering how many times I had been unconscious.  
  
"So where'd ye find me?" I asked him.  
  
"Ye were down by de docks, not to far from hea." he replied. "Ye wouldn't believe how long it took te find ye. And I don want ye goin out by yeself anymore. Me, Jack, Spot, Frit, and Snipeshoota met up wid some a de Crypts last night. Dey seemed pretty angry an I can see why if ye stabbed Shadow." Race said with an almost smile on his face.  
  
"Yea.", I said. "Race, whudder we gonna do about me? I can't keep havin youse guys getting hoit just because o me."  
  
"Looks te me like ids not us hoit, it's you." He said with a twinkle in his eye but then he looked worried and thoughtful. "We'll haveta figure sumthin out since I don think Brooklyn's too safe no more."  
  
I then noticed all the bandages and cold cloths that were placed all over me.  
  
"Did ye do dis?" I asked Race indicating the bandages.  
  
"Yea, I didn't want de swellin to get any worse dan it already was." he told me.  
  
"Thank you. I don know whudd I'd do witout all ye guys, especially you." I added.  
  
He turned a little red and didn't say anything for a moment.  
  
"Well, I don't know whudd I'd do witout ye so I guess were even." he said.  
  
"Me?" I said actually surprised because I couldn't think of anything I had done that might make me so important. "All I've done is hoit ye guys, and make life more difficult fer ye too. I'm surprised ye are still keeping me around an helpin me."  
  
"Why whuddent we?" he asked. "Yer our friend now and we stick wid our friends."  
  
"I'm glad," I said smiling and for a minute I forgot all my injuries and pain and reached up, pulled his face to mine and kissed him. For a minute we stayed there than I collapsed back on the pillows remembering my pain.  
  
"Well dats good medicine." I said blushing and smiling.  
  
"Glad te be of soivice." Race said smiling and bending down to make sure I didn't have to move kissed me again but quickly. "I'm gonna go find Jack"  
  
"Ok.", I said smiling up at him.  
  
"I'll be back soon." he was smiling as he left the room.  
  
After Race had gone I laid in bed trying not to focus on the pain and not to think about Shadow and the Crypts, but on Race and my friends instead. A few minutes later and to my great relief Angel and Bailey walked inside.  
  
"Thank god. Someone ta talk te." I said relieved.  
  
"Are ye alright?" Bailey asked looking worried and a little startled at the sight of my bruises, bandages and variety of other injuries.  
  
"I'll be fine. I wish I could get up and go find dose bastards." I said.  
  
"No, ye can't.", Angel said. "Yer gonna stay in bed fer awhile."  
  
"Uhhh, don remind me." I said feeling depressed at the very thought.  
  
"Yer not goin out again by yerself no mora." Bailey said sternly.  
  
"So I've hoid." I replied dryly.  
  
"Race is gonna be wid ye all de time now." Angel said slyly.  
  
"Not like he isn't anyways." Bailey said, now laughing.  
  
"Shuddup.", I said blushing.  
  
"Sorry we can't help but tease you. It's too much fun." Bailey said and Angel nodded.  
  
"Has he asked ye ta be his goil yet?" Angel asked.  
  
"No, why are ye guys pushing it so much?"  
  
"Well we know ye guys are gonna get dere in de end. Why not speed it up?" Angel said laughing.  
  
"I hope so...,", and with me feeling somewhat embarrassed I quickly changed the subject.  
  
"So everthin heas fine right?" I asked.  
  
"Yea except fer de problem of dat damn bastard." Bailey said. "Uh Shadow." She finished as though we hadn't understood what she was talking about, we had.  
  
"Yea we got dat much." Angel said. "We have ta figure out a way ta keep ye safe." she then said to me more seriously.  
  
I almost said something about not wanting to be a problem and how they really didn't need to help me but I remembered what Race said and that everytime I would say something across those lines I got yelled at.  
  
"Yea Doodles, we don't mind helping youse and especially since yer our friend now, a good one." Bailey said rolling her eyes in exasperation.  
  
"Well thanks but I wasn't gonna say anything about it." I didn't tell them I had thought about saying it.  
  
"Good." Angel said simply, "Ye should stop feelin so bad about everyone helping ye and ye not helping dem. Dats how it is hea and besides someday ye could help dem when dey need it."  
  
I thought about it. "Thanks, Angel, I'm woikin on it."  
  
Just then Race walked back in.  
  
"Hey Race." said Bailey than Angel both grinning.  
  
"Oh no, not more goil talk." Race said looking a little short of terrified.  
  
"Actually no, but we can if ye want us to." I said teasing him.  
  
"I'll pass." he said.  
  
Bailey, Angel, and I all laughed as Race looked exasperated.  
  
"We'll leave ye two alone." Bailey said. To me she said, "Don't even think about gettin up."  
  
"Have Race carry ye around. Dats one o de only benefits of bein hoit." Angel said.  
  
"Yea she would know too." Bailey said. "See ya later."  
  
"Bye I said to them then turned to Racetrack. "So whudd ye an Jack talk about? Shadow and whudd ta do wid me I suppose."  
  
"Well...no, not really." he said looking uncomfortable.  
  
"Whudd is it?" I asked.  
  
"Uhhh..." he looked as though he didn't know exactly how to say what he was trying to get out.  
  
"Race, ye know ye can tell me anything. I won make fun o ye or laugh...well maybe laugh but it depends." I said smiling.  
  
"Yea, I know." he said, "And I'm glad. Yer de foist goil like dat fer me."  
  
"Thanks.", I said taking this as a compliment.  
  
"Yea, uh so hea it is.", Race paused and took a deep breath. "Doodles, I know I've only known ye fer a few days but I really like ye a lot."  
  
"I like ye too." I interrupted my heart beginning to pound a little harder than normal.  
  
"Good." he said smiling a little. "Uh, de ye wante be my goil?" he said it kind of fast but I understood him anyway.  
  
I grinned like a fool.  
  
"Yea, I'd love te." I said still grinning, my heart pounding, and thinking Race looked so adorable with an identical grin on his face. "Now come hea an kiss me, id hoits te move."  
  
He walked over, bent down and kissed me on the mouth.  
  
After my head cleared from our kiss, I thought of something.  
  
"Why was it so hard to ask me dat question?" I asked him wondering because he said he could tell me anything.  
  
"Well...I've never been a big guy fer boyfriend, goilfriend stuff. Dat was always Jack or Spot. Dey always seemed ta have goils. An...well I never met a goil like ye before, dats annodda reason. I guess ye could say I'm not all to experienced wid it."  
  
"I'm glad ye asked me dough." I said and because I had temporarily forgotten about my injury, tried to sit up.  
  
"Shit.", I could just get out that one curse as the pain went through my body.  
  
"Jesus, don move." Race said looking worried. "Do ye need anything? Uh...., oh geez, I dunno." he looked so cute anxious I couldn't help but laugh. That made Race calm down a little.  
  
"Yer ok?" he asked.  
  
"As long as I don't move, I'll live." I said.  
  
"I'm really worried about ye."  
  
"I'll be ok in a few days hopefully." I said to him. "Ye don have te worry about me so much ye know."  
  
"I can't help it now." he said. "Ye caught me an deres no way I'm letting go." 


	15. Another plan

By the end of the day I was really fed up with being in bed but it still hurt to move anything more then my mouth to talk...or to kiss. But everyone was so forceful about keeping me there; I don't think I could have gone anywhere if I could have moved. A few of the Manhattan newsies I had met had also come to visit me when they heard what happened. Mush, Boots, and Crutchey brought me flowers which was really sweet. I had just been thinking about all the stuff I would rather be doing instead of lying in bed when Race, Jack, Spot, Bailey, and Angel walked into the room.  
  
"How ye feelin?" Jack asked me.  
  
"I'm ok but I wanna get out o dis bed." I said desperately.  
  
"Yer gonna have a problem, yer not goin anywhere fer at least a week." Spot said to me.  
  
"Ugh." I groaned drawing it out. "Don't even say dat te me, I'll go insane."  
  
"Oops too late fer dat.", Race commented, laughing.  
  
"Oh real funny Mista Smart-Ass.", I said sarcastic. "So whudder ye all hea fer anyways?"  
  
"Well, Shadow an de Crypts'll really be afta ye now, but we don't know when," Bailey said. "We've talked and we haveta move ye so dey won't find ye especially since yer hoit."  
  
"Where we gonna move me ta? Annodda city? We can't move me ta de Manhattan lodging house, dey'll probably look dere," I asked because I had thought about this and hadn't been able to think of a solution.  
  
"No, yer right," Angel put in, "Spot thought of his friend Christina. She could have ye stay wid her."  
  
"Me too." Race interrupted.  
  
"But don't ye havta sell? An whudd about de races? Ye haven't been since we went tagedda three days ago," I said.  
  
"I'll sell in de morning den stay wid ye." he replied. "De races aren't me entia life."  
  
"Yea Doodles, ye are now." Spot said with a grin and a wink.  
  
Race didn't say anything but everyone else did.  
  
"Yea Race, I'm so proud," Jack said with mock tears and sniffles. "Yer all grown up." he grabbed Race in a one armed hug and ruffled his hair.  
  
"Lay off Cowboy." Race said shoving him away.  
  
"Whudd are ye two...." Bailey said trailing off.  
  
"Yea." I said blushing under my bruises.  
  
Angel squealed then said, "Aww, finally!"  
  
"Whudd de ye mean?" Race asked suspicially.  
  
"Aw come on Race," Spot said. "Id was obvious ye two were gonna get taggeda."  
  
"It was?" he asked. He had obviously been oblivious to Jack, Spot, Angel, and Bailey.  
  
"So I've hoid." I said. "Ok, back on de original topic..." I said changing the subject from me and Race. "Have ye actually talked ta dis Christina?"  
  
"No were gonna meet up t'morrow." Spot said.  
  
"Ok, sounds good." I said. "Now who wants te take me te de bathroom?"  
  
Everyone laughed and Race picked me up to carry me there. 


	16. New Friend, Old Ties

The next day Spot walked with Angel into a small restaurant in Brooklyn where they were planning to meet Christina. He hoped things would work out. He didn't make friends all that easily but he liked Doodles and wanted things would work out for her and Race. He also hoped Christina would put them up. He really had no doubt she would. Christina had been his girl before he had met Angel and he knew her well, she would consider it a favor to him as they were still good friends.  
  
"Hey deyre she is." Angel said to him jolting him out of his thoughts and pointing at a girl sitting at a table.  
  
They walked over to her and sat down at the table.  
  
"Hey Christina." Spot said to her.  
  
"Hey Spot, ye ready ta come back te me yet?" she asked playfully.  
  
"Naw me an Ang are together fer de long run." he said with a smirk.  
  
"Aw geez." she said turning to Angel. "So ye caught him eh? Yer a lucky goil."  
  
"Yea I know." Angel said with a smile at Christina and a look to Spot.  
  
"So long time no see. Whudd can I do fer ye?" Christina asked them.  
  
"So ye haven't hoid about anything?" Spot said.  
  
"No, should I have?"  
  
"Naw ye not hearin anythin is probably a good thing. See we got dis new friend an she's havin problems wid de Crypts fer reasons I think she'd rather keep quiet fer now. One named Shadow in particula," Spot began to explain then paused.  
  
"Yea, ok whudd de ye wan me ta do?" Christina asked.  
  
"Well,", Angel began, "She got soaked real bad an now de Crypts'll be lookin at de Brooklyn lodging house and de Manhattan lodging house fer her and she can't even get outta bed."  
  
"Oh I get it." Christina said catching on. "Do ye want her ta stay at my place?"  
  
"Yea we was thinking dat." Spot said. "So will ye, fer me?" he said sweetly and added a wink into the mix.  
  
"Ye don haveta butta me up ye know I will." she said laughing.  
  
"Thanks a lot." Spot said.  
  
"Anythin fer ye honey."  
  
"Oh wait Spot, we fergot one thing," Angel said. "Is it ok if Race stays wid ye too?"  
  
"Yea sure, but why Race?" she asked curiously.  
  
"Well deyre kinda inseperable now." Angel said.  
  
"Oh like ye two?" Christina teased indicating Spot and Angel.  
  
"I guess since deyre now tageda," Spot said.  
  
"Aww, dats cute." Christina said. "Our little Race." she sighed.  
  
"Yea dats whudd I said." Angel said laughing. "Anyways I think ye'll like her."  
  
"Yea, probably if shes friends wid youse," Christina replied.  
  
"So can we bring er by t'morrow?" Spot asked her.  
  
"Yea wheneva," Christina said.  
  
"Thanks a lot Christina," Angel said sincerely.  
  
"See ya t'morrow." Spot said to her as he and Angel stood up.  
  
"Later shuga. Bye Angel," she replied as Spot and Angel made their way out of the restaurant. 


	17. Recount of the Kidnap

I was laying in my bed the same as the day before and thinking about all the papes I could be selling with Race, when he walked in the door.  
  
"I'm all done fer de day." he told me and came to sit down on the side of the bed.  
  
"Race, I can't stay in bed any longer not doin anythin. I'm goin crazy. Do ye think ye could carry me outside so I could sit out deyre fer awhile?" I asked him pleadingly.  
  
"Yea I guess." Race said though looking amused by my pleading.  
  
"Thank ye so much." I said as he carefully picked me up.  
  
He had been so sweet carrying me around whenever I had asked him to. I was glad that I had Race and even more so since I was hurt.  
  
"Whudd would I do widout ye?" I asked him as he carried me down the hallway and the stairs.  
  
When we (he) walked outside we saw Sketch and two other newsies I hadn't met yet standin by de front of the building.  
  
"Heya Race." one of the newsies I hadn't met before said.  
  
"Hey Frit, whudds goin on?" Race responded.  
  
"We were just lookin fer a fourth player fer cards wanna join?" Sketch asked him.  
  
"Yeah unless Doodles minds." he said looking at me.  
  
"Naw I don't mind as long as I can watch." I said.  
  
"Sure." the other newsie I didn't know said.  
  
"Oh yeah Doodles, dis is Frit an dis is Snipeshoota." Race said indicating the newsies I didn't know. "Ye two already know her since ye helped find her.", he said to no one in particular.  
  
"Oh ye did? Thanks a lot," I said smiling at them.  
  
"Yeah but its nice ta meetcha." the one called Frit said.  
  
"Yea." Snipeshooter said. "Wow," Race whispered in my ear,"yer privileged, deyre bein polite te ye."  
  
"I hoid dat ye dirty rat." Frit said. "If ye didn't have dat beautiful goil in yer arms I'd soak ye right hea, right now." He gave me a wink.  
  
I laughed as Race got protective.  
  
"She's me goil now." Race informed them proudly in a totally male way.  
  
"Race deyre just jokin," I told him reassuringly still laughing. "Ok, show me some poker boys." Race set me down carefully against the wall and then he sat down next to me. They began to play and I watched, interested. As the game went on I saw that Race was indeed, a very good poker player from what I could tell. I hadn't really watched poker before but he won the majority of the hands and ended up winning the game. As we were sitting there me listening to the newsies talk over the cards Angel and Spot walked up to us.  
  
"Guess whudd?" Angel said.  
  
"Whudd?" I asked.  
  
"Christina'll take ye an Race fer a while." Angel replied.  
  
"Oh she didn't mind?" I asked.  
  
"Nope, she's a good poison." Spot said. "Besides she'd do 'bout anything fer me."  
  
"Yer a little to proud o dat," Angel said to him, eyebrows raised.  
  
Spot just shrugged.  
  
"So are we goin t'morrow?" I asked.  
  
"Yea." Spot said.  
  
"Where does she live?" I asked, curious.  
  
"She actually lives near hea." Spot replied. "Race won havta carry ye so far."  
  
"Yea, haha," Race said. "She don weigh all dat much anyways."  
  
"Well I don get all dat hungry when I feel like I got me stomach beaten te a pulp." I said which was true because they hit my stomach pretty hard. "Ye wouldn't eidda."  
  
"So hows de poka goin anyways?" Spot asked the poker players and they all began talking poker talk, like: "I won dat wid a straight dan dat smug bastard..." and "he beat me three pair wid a full house", none of which I understood.  
  
"So how are ye doin?" Angel asked me sitting down next to me.  
  
"I'm betta now dat Race has taken me outside." I said. "I can't stay inside all day or especially in bed all day, I would kill meself."  
  
"Yea me too," Angel agreed. "Soo...I don know if ye wanna talk 'bout dis, and ye don haveta, but whudd actually happened when dey kidnapped ye?", asked me.  
  
"Oh yea," I said realizing the only person I had told was Race. "I fergot I only told Race. But maybe we should find Bailey so I don't haveta tell dis twice."  
  
"Good thinkin." Angel said. "De ye wanna go inside?"  
  
"Uh, yea but I need someone ta carry me, I still don think I can stand all dat well and especially walk up stairs." I said wishing I could walk ok but I was still so weak and I knew I would fall over if I tried to stand.  
  
Race was busy with poker and I didn't want to interrupt their game so I turned to Angel. "Do ye think Spot whudd carry me?" I asked though wondering at the same time what Race would do. He was so protective towards me but at least Spot had a girlfriend.  
  
Angel had already asked him and Spot cam walking over and bent down to pick me up. "Wow Race ye were right, she is really light. I nevea thought ye were all dat strong anyways." he said making fun of Race.  
  
Race turned and seeing me in Spots arms said," Get yer hand off me goil Spot."  
  
"Hey I'm just takin her inside." Spot defended himself. "An she asked me to anyways."  
  
"Don't worry about it, Race," I said to him. "I just wanna go inside te talk te Bailey fer awhile. Keep playin yer poker game, I'll be fine."  
  
"Ok." he said still wary,"See ya lata."  
  
"K.", I replied and with Spot smirking and me and Angel giggling over Race's protectiveness we went inside to find Bailey.  
  
We all walked inside to look for Bailey but didn't see her by the door. There were a few newsies standing around inside so Spot, still carrying me, with Angel walked over to them.  
  
"Hey Spot ye takin ova fer Race?" one of them said.  
  
"Oh yea." Spot said joking. "Have ye seen Bailey around? These lovely goils wanna talk te her." he said smiling.  
  
"Yer jus takin ova all de goils 'round hea aren't ye?" the newsie said.  
  
"Ye know me."  
  
"Well, I think Bailey's on de roof wid Jack," he said with a suggestive raise of the eyebrows. Spot laughed and said thanks as Angel and I rolled our eyes.  
  
We walked up the long flights of stairs, Spot still carrying me while I felt kind of stupid. I couldn't get over having to depend on other people for anything let alone having people carry me around all the time. Shadow would pay for that if not everything else. Especially him going after Angel and Spot.  
  
We reached the top and opened the door leading onto the roof. The first thing we saw was Bailey and Jack locked together in each other's arms in a deep kiss. Spot, with me, and Angel kind of stood there for a minute unsure of weither to interrupt them or just leave them alone. I don't know why but I found this really funny and was trying not to let out the enormous storm of giggles I was holding back. I caught Angel's eye and I let out one small snort (I could never control myself) but it set us off and there was no going back after that.  
  
Bailey and Jack kind of got jolted back to this world when they heard us laughing our asses off. They just looked at us with amused and questioning looks. I looked up at Spot and he just had his typical smirk on his face.  
  
I took a deep breath and tried to calm down but it was difficult. I finally managed to breathe more evenly.  
  
"Uh hi." I said to Bailey and Jack.  
  
"Hi... did ye want sumthin?" Bailey asked me still looking at me and Angel funny. "And whudd was so funny?"  
  
"Uh...de ye know?" I asked looking at Angel.  
  
"Nope." she said manner of factly.  
  
"Ok," I said with an apologetic smile. "We don't know but we did want sumthin. Ang asked me what exactly happened dat night wid Shadow an de Crypts. So I was gonna tell her but I figured ye'd wanna hea too."  
  
"Oh yea," Bailey said. "Ok, bye boys."  
  
"Oh thanks." Jack said acting insulted. But he got up and pecked Bailey on the cheek. "Where's Race?" he asked me.  
  
"Playin poka downstairs. He's really good....not dat I know much about poka anyways." I answered him.  
  
"Yea, ain't dat de truth?" Spot said setting me down on the ground. "Ye good?" he asked me. "Yea thanks." I replied.  
  
We said bye to them as they left us alone on the roof.  
  
"We did get lucky in de guy department didn't we?" Bailey said to me and Angel. "Yea." Angel smiled.  
  
"Hey can we help it? We're all to gorgeous fer our own good," I said laughing. "Doodles, yer way to cocky fer yer own good." Bailey said laughing too.  
  
"Ok," Angel said after all of us had calmed down a bit. "Now on to serious stuff, whudd happened?" she asked me.  
  
"Well, d'ya know anythin? I mean did Race mention any o de fina details?" I asked. "All I know is dey kidnapped ye, den somehow ye escaped, an dats when Race an everyone found ye." Angel said. "Dats all I know too." Bailey said.  
  
I took a deep breath. "At least I think Race'll fill in de guys if dey wanna know. Ok hea goes." I first told them about Razor 'Patrick' and how he had tricked me, something I was still ashamed and angry about. I usually prided myself on being a good judge of character. Then I told them about how I had went for a walk and suddenly I woke up in a dark room surrounded by six of the Crypts, Shadow being one. How they had taunted me, Razor in particular, about how well I had fell into his trap and believed him. They began to beat me up, but I told them I tried to fight. But even though I'm not bad five men against one girl aren't good odds anyday. They heard how I had layed on the ground defeated, blind with pain, when I saw the gleam of the knife. How I grabbed it and when Shadow was close enough to me, I had struck. Both Angel and Bailey gasped at this.  
  
"Whered ye get im?" Bailey asked mouth open.  
  
"I don't know..." I said. "I hope I got him good dough. But it can't have been too bad cause de guys saw some a de Crypts lata dat night when dey was searchin fer me an dey didn't seem all dat bothaed. Race told me."  
  
"Oh well, go on." Angel said eagerly.  
  
So I continued with the retelling in which the next part I broke the window to escape, contributing to many of my cuts. I ran and ran. Then the only thing I remember is coming to some docks. I told them the next time I woke up I was at the Brooklyn lodging house, in my room.  
  
There was silence on the roof for a few seconds after I finished with the details of my little 'adventure'. Then Angel spoke.  
  
"It's a good thing Christina's lettin ye stay at her place; I'd be really worried if she wouldn't."  
  
"Oh, she said yes?" Bailey asked.  
  
"Yea." I said. "Good thing I met all of ye an now have connections."  
  
"Well thanks fer tellin us," Bailey said, Angel nodding. "Its good te knows ye trust us."  
  
"O course I trust ye," I said a little surprised. "yer my friends."  
  
Just then the door opened and Race, Jack, and Spot walked out onto the roof.  
  
"Finish de poka?" Bailey asked Race. "I suppose ye won?"  
  
"Ye bet." he said casually jingling his pocket which was jingling.  
  
"Aww the little gambler." I said laughing, "At least hes my little gambler."  
  
Race chuckled.  
  
"So where ye takin us te eat?" Spot asked.  
  
"Yea." Angel whispered to me, "Ye get de gambler, I got de one dat thinks wid his stomach."  
  
We laughed while everyone gave us funny looks for the second time in the past hour.  
  
"Stop lookin at us like dat an pick me up." I commanded Race. "I don know how much more o dis I can stand."  
  
"How much more o whudd?" Jack asked me.  
  
"Of bein carryied around like dis." I replied.  
  
"Aw don worry bout dat," Spot said, "he likes it. Makes 'im feel strong." He lightly punched Race's arm.  
  
"Did ye like carryin me around?" Angel asked Spot teasing.  
  
"Sure, we've got de power den." Spot said.  
  
"Ok shut up everyone, I'm hungry, let's eat. Not te metion dis is a stupid conversation." Jack interrupted us.  
  
"Fine, fine let's go." Race said. "I'm buyin."  
  
"Duh." I said smiling up at him as we all walked off the roof. 


	18. Moving Again

The next day Race had to sell but first he wanted to carry me to Christina's place. It surprised me how protective he was being but I guess that was mostly because the only person watching out for me was usually me. My mother when she was alive but she was so busy with work, I was by myself most days.  
  
I woke up and found Race was still in bed with me. I wouldn't allow him to sleep on the floor another night and there wasn't anything so horribly wrong with me that I needed my own bed. I carefully pulled back the covers and sat up making sure Race wasn't awake. I placed my feet on the ground and attempted to set my weight on them and stand up. I could, though my legs were wobbly and really weak. It didn't help I hadn't had much of an appetite the past two days so I hadn't eaten much either. I balanced myself on the bedpost and walked around a little.  
  
Just then Race woke up and seeing me he said,"Whudd de ye think yer doin?"  
  
I turned to him. "Uh stretchin me legs."  
  
"Ye really need ta be able te walk don ye?" he asked me.  
  
"Yea." I replied. "If I don I don feel in charge of me own self...well let's put it dis way, if I didn't take care o me before I came hea I wouldn't have survived so good. So now I'm not used ta not havin ta do dat so I guess I'm still kinda paranoid bout it. It's kinda programmed inta me."  
  
"I understand," he said. "But now dat ye do have people ta take care o ye make sure yer not tryin ta do everytin yerself."  
  
I sighed, "I'll try, but it'll be hard. I'm still getting over everythin dats happened lately."  
  
"Yea, I know." he said, "Ye've held up really well, Brin."  
  
"Ye used me real name...and ye've told de biggest lie I've hoid in a while. Me? Holdin up good, when de foist day I met ye I ran inte ye cryin?"  
  
"Hey ye had a damn good excuse if ye ask me."  
  
"Maybe but I've been pretty stupid at odda times." I contradicted.  
  
"Maybe but dats no different dan everyone else." he said resonably.  
  
"Hmmm...an why did ye use me real name?"  
  
"Well I like it an I think it's as much a part of ye as Doodles is."  
  
"Hey did ye know I just made Doodles up on de spot de night I came ta Manhattan an Mush asked me me name?" I told him just thinking of it.  
  
"Really? No I didn't know but its still you. And now its kinda stuck fer good  
  
Yea," I said. "But ye know? I kinda like it. It feels like...me."  
  
Race got out of bed. "Dats why I like ye so much." he said softly.  
  
"Why cause o de name Doodles?" I asked confused.  
  
"Naw silly," he said taking my chin in his hand. "Yer you. Nobody else, just Doodles, Brin. Yer not like anyone I've met before."  
  
I couldn't say anything to this. I felt at that moment, totally right, so complete. I had always wished I could find someone who wanted me, not my body or my looks, but me, my opinions, choices, and values, everything that made me, me. And here standing in front of me was a guy telling me exactly that. Not just any guy but Race, who had come to be one of my closest friends in only a week, a week that felt like a lifetime. Almost as if when my mother died I began a whole new life and though it tore my heart to say goodbye to her, I was so glad to have been sent here to this place, to all my new friends, and to Race. Then i realized for the first time in my whole life I was in love. Not the steady love I had had for my mother, but a different kind. I felt the dampness on my cheeks and new I had begun to cry. And just to ruin the moment I felt silly once again for me crying over that one simple, sweet statement.  
  
"Whudd is it?" he said looking concerned.  
  
"Oh..." I broke off. Though I had complete faith in Race I was still wary. I didn't know how he felt about me and I didn't want to scare him away. I mean I had only known him for a week and we had only been boyfriend and girlfriend for three days. I didn't want to be hurt, not now, so I put it away, to tell him later. "Nuthin, but don worry, deyre happy tears."  
  
"Only a poison like ye would cry fer happiness." he said laughing.  
  
"Yea only me an half de female population," I said laughing through my tears, then kissed him passionately with all the feelings I had inside me at that moment.  
  
"Dear me, do I desoive a goil like ye?" he said laughing when the kiss ended. "Ye laugh, ye cry, ye kiss me, den ye order me around again. Whudd am I gonna do wid ye?"  
  
"I don know but at least we'll do it tageda," I said filled with joy.  
  
A few minutes later I walked into the large washroom to use the bathroom. I began to walk towards them but then seeing the mirror I paused. I still looked like myself but I must have looked horrible on the day after my kidnapping. I still had a dark blue, purple spot around my right eye and some cuts on the rest of my face. I had had a fat lip but that had also decreased in the past two days. I laughed to myself. Race defiantly wasn't being my boyfriend because of my looks. Not that I had thought he was anyway but it was almost a relief to know I looked horrible.  
  
After I used the bathroom I hobbled back to Race's room and mine.  
  
"Ready to go?" he asked me as I walked in. He was sitting on the bed with a cigar in his mouth.  
  
"Do ya got everythin?" he asked me.  
  
"Yea," I said walking over and picked up the small bundle of cloths, all of which, except for the cloths I had arrived in, were borrowed from Race or Bailey.  
  
"Ok, lets go." he said and walked over to me and picked me up.  
  
"Hey, whudder ye doin? I can walk now." I protested.  
  
"Yea but yer not doin de stairs." he said walking through the door with me in his arms.  
  
"Is Spot already ready?" I asked as we began to walk down the hallway.  
  
"Yea he's waitin downstairs." he replied.  
  
We walked down the stairs and Spot was waiting for us at the foot of them.  
  
"Ready?" he said to us.  
  
"Yea if Race hea'll put me down." I said and wanting to walk again.  
  
"Huh?" Spot said confused still thinking I couldn't walk.  
  
"I can walk now." I explained to him then turned to Race. "Will ye put me down?"  
  
"No, ye gotta keep yer strength," he replied. "Jus let me carry ye ta Christina's place.  
  
"Fine." I said knowing he wouldn't give up.  
  
"Are ye two done bickerin?" Spot said impatiently.  
  
"Yea, an it's not like ye and Angel don't do dat sometimes." Race commented.  
  
"Lets go." Spot said leading the way out and ignoring Race's last comment. I didn't say anything and just laughed to myself as we set off for Christina's. 


	19. A Safe Place

We walked only a short way, but I still didn't know my way around Brooklyn, so I was still pretty lost. We stopped in front of a dress shop that said Johnson's Boutique over the door.  
  
"Did is it." Spot said. "She lives above de shop." He paused for a second than said; "Her mudda owns it." he looked a little uncomfortable, as though he had said something wrong.  
  
"Oh." I said realizing he was uncomfortable because it was somewhat like my situation before my own mother died. "Race, will ye let me walk inside?"  
  
He set me down carefully. He was looking at me worriedly too, as though I might be upset about Cristina living in a shop like I used to, with my mother.  
  
"Hey, guys, its ok dat Christina's mudda owns dis shop. And besides I've resolved not te cry ova dat no more. Well at least till I've had me revenge on Shadow."  
  
Both looked relieved that they wouldn't have to deal with tears and I laughed at them.  
  
"Boys." I said, rolling my eyes at them.  
  
Whudd?!" they both exclaimed at the same time.  
  
"Nuthin, ye guys are jus funny." I said laughing at them now.  
  
Just then a girl walked out of the shop door.  
  
"Hey Spot, Hey Race." she said, giving Spot a smacking kiss on the cheek.  
  
"Hey Christina." Spot said.  
  
"Hey Christina," Race echoed him. "Been awhile, ain't it?"  
  
"Yea." Christina agreed.  
  
"Dis is Doodles, me goil." he told her then turned to me.  
  
"Yea, I hoid bout dat." she said elbowing Race playfully and winking at me.  
  
"Doodles, dis is Christina." he said laughing.  
  
"Nice ta meecha," I said holding out a hand and she shook it. I could tell she was a big flirt but I decided I liked her.  
  
"Same hea," she said with a smile. "So, ye feelin betta? Yer walkin I see."  
  
"Yea thanks, I can't stand te stay in bed all day," I told her, "but Race still insisted on carryin me on de stairs and all de way hea."  
  
"Hey all part o de poiks." She similar to what Angel had said.  
  
I laughed and I could see why she might have been Spot's previous girlfriend. But of course though Christina and Spot would have had fun I thought that Angel and Spot were better suited for each other in the long run.  
  
"So want me te show ye around?" Christina asked us.  
  
"Sure." I said.  
  
"Love te stay but I gotta go sell me papes." Spot told us.  
  
"Ok," I said, "see ya later. And tell Angel, Bailey, and Jack if dey don't come te visit me I'll soak em when I'm betta. And ye too." I added.  
  
"Oh betta watch yer back Spot." Race teased.  
  
"Don't worry, don't worry, ", Spot said, "We wont ferget 'bout ye."  
  
"I'm holdin ye te dat," I said joked.  
  
"Alright, See ye all lata," he said as he turned to leave.  
  
"Bye Spot," Christina said to his retreating back acting offended.  
  
"Bye Christina." Spot yelled over his shoulder, flashing her a grin as well.  
  
When he was out of sight Christina took us into her mother's shop. I was surprised at how much her shop reminded me of my former home. She took us through the back of the shop where there was a narrow flight of stairs. Race of course picked me up and we walked up the stairs and entered the apartment through a door at the top of them. There were a few rooms, a kitchen with two additional rooms I could see. It was a pretty good-sized apartment but I supposed that was because it was over the shop. My mother and my apartment had been a pretty spacious one too.  
  
"Dis is it." she said leading us through the kitchen/living area which also included a small bed against one wall. She showed us her mother's room and then said we'd be in the other room, which had a double bed and a small table in it.  
  
"Where are ye gonna sleep?" I asked her hoping we weren't invading her space.  
  
"In me mudda's room." she told me.  
  
"Is she down in de shop?" Race asked her.  
  
"Actually no," Christina said. "She's away visitin family in Conneticut. She won't be back for awhile."  
  
"Who's takin care o de shop den?" I asked her.  
  
"Well me and de odda woikers she has on right now," she replied. "And I should be getting back to work now so I'll be downstairs."  
  
"Yea an I havta go sell me papes too," Race said. "But yer gonna go te bed." he told me.  
  
"Oh I am?" I said.  
  
"Yea because I know yer still not feelin to great and ye need te get betta soon so we can beat de shit outta Shadow and all de Crypts."  
  
"Well...ok," I said. "But only cause I really wanna soak em good."  
  
"Yea, I'd help anyday," Christina added. ."Ok, I'll be down in de shop."  
  
"Ok thanks a lot Christina." Race said.  
  
"Anythin fer ye Race." she said with a wink and a smile as she left for the shop.  
  
We entered the room and I sat down on the bed.  
  
He looked at me, "I'm gonna go now, be good."  
  
"If I must." I sighed in mock annoyance.  
  
He kissed me on the forehead, "Stay in bed." he added and I slumped back on the pillows. He had to add that. 


	20. For the Love of Art

Later I was wondering how long I had lain in the bed. I knew what I felt like doing but I didn't have the materials to draw with. I had always liked drawing since I was very little. It was one of my favorite things to do and my outlet for creativity. I had always secretly dreamed of one day selling my art but that day had yet to come.  
  
I looked around the small bare room wondering if maybe there was some stray paper around. I spotted the drawer in the small table and got out of bed and crossed to it. I opened it and thanked the person who had placed the stack of loose paper inside. I pulled out a few sheets and then wondered what I could use to draw with. Then I mentally slapped myself. I almost always had my piece of charcoal with me and I happened to have one in the bundle of cloths I had brought with me. I took it out then flopped back on the bed. I drew for a long time, as I never could keep track of time when I was at it. All of a sudden a hand clamped down on my shoulder. It is amazing how high you can jump when you are sitting down. I managed about a foot in the air and at the same time all the papers I had been holding, at least ten flew into the air landing on the covers, some on the floor. I turned and saw Race laughing at me.  
  
Oh shit I thought to myself. I had meant to hide the drawings before he came back but I hadn't realized he had been gone long enough to finish his selling.  
  
"Whudd were ye doin?" he asked after he had managed to control himself.  
  
"Umm nuthin." I said evading his question and quickly reaching down to gather some of the papers that had fallen to the floor.  
  
"Hea, I got it." he said and reached for one paper that was upside down. I grabbed at it but he snatched it away and gave me a confused look that turned playful. "Aww, were ye writin more love lettas te me? I told ye ye didn havta." he said teasingly then looked at the paper.  
  
"Ha ha." I said, turning bright red, I could feel my face getting hot. I looked at him studying the paper. The one he had picked up was a sketch of him, thumbs hooked around his suspenders, one of his usual positions. To my mortification that particular drawing had "I Love Race" written all along the sides. "Actually its woise dan love lettas." I said turning away from him, embarassement all over my face.  
  
"Hey dis is good," he said sounding impressed. "Whudd are de odda ones?"  
  
"Pretty much de same." I muttered.  
  
He picked up the other drawings and looked at them as well. They were pretty much all of him except for one of the two of us standing hand in hand.  
  
"I like dis one." he told me indicating the one of him and me with another "I Love Race" scrawled above it. There was a pause. I didn't know what to say. I didn't know weither to say "haha I'm obbsessed with you", or what so I didn't say anything. I was still hoping for him not to think me strange and weird because I loved him and I'd only known him for a short period of time. I was confident about many things but I was so sure about love, I needed assurance.  
  
He laughed and I looked up at him. "So de ye love me or not?" he asked still laughing though I couldn't tell exactly why.  
  
Oh boy, I thought to myself, the moment of truth, even though that may seem a little melodramatic. "Well...yea," I said, I couldn't, didn't see a reason, and didn't want to lie to him. I was unsure of what he would say to this so I kept my head down almost not wanting a reply. He grabbed my shoulders than gently lifted my chin so that I would look at him. His face looked so happy and I began to feel a little hope.  
  
"Good." he said softly.  
  
I realized what he said and my face split into an ear-to-ear grin before he leaned in and kissed me hard and long.  
  
"I didn't know if you did," I murmered, "so I didn't say anything." not to mention I had only realized this that morning.  
  
"Well, I caughtcha didn I?" he said with a chuckle.  
  
"Oh my god." I said still embarrassed, covering my face with my hands.  
  
"Whudd?" he asked, looking truly puzzled. "Deyre really, really great."  
  
"Well...thanks." I said after a pause.  
  
"He picked up the one I had drawn me alongside him, "can I keep dis one? I like it."  
  
"Go ahead, ye could have all of em but I don think ye'd want pictures of yeself." I teased.  
  
"Nah, not particularily." he said back to me, "But thanks, an not jus fer de drawin."  
  
"Fer what den?" I asked, puzzled.  
  
"Fer lovin me, an bein so great." he replied, the sweetest look on his face.  
  
"Aw come on, ye know I'm de one who should be thankin ye fer takin care o me an bein so sweet. Not te mention borrowin yer cloths." I protested.  
  
"Hey ye look betta in em den I do." he said laughter in his eyes.  
  
I laughed. "Yea...whuddeva, but seriously I don desoive dis, yer jus too good te me." I really meant every word.  
  
"Oh come on Doodles." he said exasperatedly," Yer de same fer me, an I feel de same way ye know?"  
  
"But—" he put his hand over my mouth to make me shut up.  
  
"Do ye realize how stupid dis argument is gettin?" he asked laughing.  
  
I thought about it for a moment than began to laugh. "Yer right but I'm bad at arguin anyway. I'm mora de peacemaker type."  
  
"I coulda guessed, an dats probaly a good thing. Ye haven't seen a real fight till ye see Bailey an Angel go at it." he said, " Anyways why don we quit wid all de arguin ova who desoives us more..." he paused, a little confused at what he had just said, "or sumthin like dat."  
  
I understood what he meant, "Ok, I could go fer dat." I said happily.  
  
Just then we heard a big commotion from outside. We got off the bed and crossed to the window that looked out over the street. We heard the shouting before we saw them.  
  
"Ye betta tell us where she is or we'll send de Crypts on yer little goilys hea." It was Oscar Delancy standing alongside Morris.  
  
"Ha! We could take em!" shouted a familiar voice. It was Bailey standing with Jack, Angel, and Spot.  
  
I watched Jack grab Bailey's arm and try to push her behind him but she slapped his arm away. Spot did the same with Angel but she didn't protest. All of a sudden Morris pulled out a blade and started towards Jack and Spot. As they were fighting Morris they didn't realize what Oscar was doing. He had gone for Angel. I opened my mouth to yell but Race put his hand over it.  
  
"Dey can't know yer hea!" he said though looking very anxious.  
  
So we watched helpless as Oscar gave Angel a punch to the face. But then Bailey saw what had happened.  
  
"Ye bastard, how dare ye do dat! I'm gonna kill ye!" she shouted and with that she soaked Oscar pretty good while Jack was busy doing the same to Morris.  
  
Spot was seeing to Angel whose nose looked to be bleeding pretty badly.  
  
Just then we heard whistles being blown.  
  
"De bulls!" we could hear Spot saying as they left Oscar and Morris on the street and quickly rushed across the street and to the back of Christina's shop. If the Bulls (well the cops) caught them all the newsies knew they'd probably try to arrest them. They were always after the newsies for whatever they could put them away for. A few seconds later we heard pounding on the stairs so Race and me went quickly from the room and to the door. They burst through and looked a little surprised to see me and Race standing there.  
  
"Are ye alright?" I asked Angel who was still bleeding.  
  
"Well it kinda hoits," she said wryly, "but I'll live."  
  
Spot had taken out his hankerchief to clean up some of the blood. "Did ye see de entia thing?" he asked me and Race.  
  
"Yea," Race said while I nodded. "Did dey follow you?"  
  
"Yea," Jack admitted looking very pissed off. "Dey followed us from de  
lodgin house. Good thing we saw dem before we went inta de shop. Den  
dey woulda known dat yer hea." he said looking at me. Then he turned  
to Bailey who was shaking her hand absently. "Are ye ok?"  
  
"Yea, just dat Osca has a damn hard head." she said and everyone laughed.  
  
"Way to go Bai," I said, "ye soaked im good. He'll think twice before beaten on a goil again."  
  
She smiled looking pleased then saw Jack's worried expression. "Geez Jack, I told ya, I can take care o meself."  
  
"I know...I jus worry bout ye anyways." he said. "Jus be careful."  
  
"Ok, ok, " she said though gave him a peck on the cheek. "Now we gotta teach Ang hea how te fight." she said to me.  
  
"Defiantly." I said. "Are ye up fer it?" I asked Angel. "It really is good te know how."  
  
"Fine, ok." Angel gave in with her head tipped back to stop the flow of blood.  
  
"Yay!" Bailey said happily. "We can give ye some lessons when yer nose decides te stop bleedin."  
  
"Yea at least I can make ye happy." Angel said to Bailey. "Shes been wanting to teach me how to fight for a long time." she said to me rolling her eyes. "Well come on." Bailey said. "Yer always de one gettin hoit but if ye know how te fight, den even if ye do get hoit den atleast ye can hoit someone in retoin." she said logically.  
  
"Dats me bloodthoisty goil," Jack said laughing.  
  
"Jus try not te get hoit ok." Spot said not looking too happy with where the conversation was going.  
  
"Believe me; I don plan dis stuff te happen. It jus does." Angel said.  
  
Just then the door to the apartment opened again and Christina walked through looking worried. "Whudds goin on? Oh! Are ye ok?" she said when she saw Angel.  
  
"I'll live." Angel said again.  
  
"Whudd happened?" Christina asked us.  
  
And so we told her what had happened with the Delancy's and she was not all that surprised to hear it.  
  
"Why don I make us a little something te eat?" Christina said with a smile after we all had finished with the explanation of Angel's bloody nose.  
  
"Sounds good te me!" I said glad to have more company now...though I blushed when I thought to myself "Bein with Race isn't bad at all...." 


	21. The Art of the Right hook

The next day I woke up, Race's arms around me, and felt so happy and secure. I stretched and yawned. He grunted then tightened his arms around me. I laughed and it looked to be the beginning of what I thought was to be a good day.  
  
"Anthony." I said than wondered why I had said that.  
  
"Brin." he replied sleepily.  
  
"Why de ye think were usin oua real names?" I asked.  
  
"Dunno, ye started it." he said.  
  
I snuggled my head on his neck. "Are ye sellin t'day?"  
  
"Yea." he replied though not moving.  
  
"I wanna go wid ye." I said, "I haven't sold fer days."  
  
"No I whudden't let ye, whudd if de DeLancy broddas saw ye? Deyre still lookin, its only been three days since, well you know." he said.  
  
I knew, since I had been kidnapped. Yea he had a point.  
  
"Why don ye go te Manhattan an Sheepshed t'day?" I suggested. "Ye haven't been able to go because yer always carin fer me."  
  
"But whudder ye gonna do all day?", he asked.  
  
"Well me an Bailey are gonna teach Angel how te fight or at least throw a few good punches. Should be interestin." I laughed.  
  
He laughed too. "Well I think I will go te Sheepshed and back te Manhattan t'day. An as much as I'd like te see Ang fight, I'll pass." he told me. "When are dey comin ova?"  
  
"Soon, afta deyre done sellin. An yer late." I reminded him.  
  
"Damn, I was hopin ye whuddent say dat." he said though he didn't look all that mad about it. He got out of bed and left the room. A minute later he came back and kissed me.  
  
"I guess I'll be gone all day den. Have fun wid Bailey an Angel," he chuckled. "Make sure dey don't get inta a fight."  
  
When I looked confused he laughed," I was jus jokin."  
  
"Don lose yer shirt ok?" I said teasing him.  
  
"Don count on it," he chuckled again. "At least I know yer safe hea." And with one last smile, he was gone.  
  
A few hours later Bailey and Angel walked into the room.  
  
"Hows yer nose?" I asked Angel.  
  
"Its ok, still a little sore." she replied.  
  
"So are ye ready?" Bailey asked Angel a little impatiently.  
  
"Uh, I guess." she replied.  
  
Bailey pretended to cry, "I've waited for this for such a long time," she said with mock sniffles.  
  
"Geez, yer jus like Jack." I commented.  
  
"Oh lets just get on with it." Angel rolled her eyes. "I want te be able te beat some Crypt ass by de time we leave t'day."  
  
I laughed, then we got started.  
  
So we first decided it was a good idea to teach her the basics: how to throw a good punch, one that will hurt your opponent but not your hand, well too much anyway. I taught her my favorite, a right jab then Bailey showed her, her specialty, a left hook. Then we worked on other defense techniques that worked well but didn't require too much muscle. Angel caught on quick and wasn't too bad but as Bailey said,"Afta all, she is me sister."  
  
A little later we decided to take a break so we got some water and flopped down on the bed in my room. We were all talking and I thought I heard a creak sounding like a floorboard. "Did ye hea sumthin?" I asked them. We listened quietly for a minute but there was no other sound. "Oh guess not," I said.  
  
"Anyways..." Angel said beginning to resume the conversation. Then all of a sudden the door flew open and crashed on the wall behind it. It was the Delancy brothers and they didn't look all to happy with the three of us. 


	22. The Fighting Angel

Bailey sneered at them. "Whudd, I tell ye?" she said cooly looking at Oscar. "Mess wid me sister or me friends again, I'll soak ye...So whudd are ye doin hea?" She ended menacingly.  
  
Oscar looked steaming mad. I guessed he didn't like the idea of having been beat up by a girl and now threatened by one. But he looked away from Bailey and then turned his head towards me.  
  
"Ye think yer so smart don ye?" he chuckled evilly,"too bad, de Crypts are on deyre way as we speak."  
  
"On deyre way from where?" I asked him hoping we would be able to make our escape before they arrived knocking at the door.  
  
"From no where bitch! But," Morris began,"we'd thought we'd get a head start an have some fun foist since we did tell em where ye were."  
  
"Ye wish!" I shot at them. Then thinking they would take care of us was just plain laughable. I mean Bailey had just beat Oscar up yesterday and there were three of us but only two of them. I looked at Bailey who looked pissed off, Angel looked nervous but determined. We had just started teaching her how to fight a few hours ago.  
  
Oscar chuckled and strutted forwards ridiculously. He was heading for Angel who always seemed to be the first person to be attacked.  
  
"Get 'im Ang." I muttered to her.  
  
"Remember whudd we taught ye." Bailey reminded her in a whisper.  
  
Angel nodded and smiled cruelly as Oscar approached her stupidly. Ignorant to the fact that Angel might not be the same girl she had been the day before.  
  
When he reached for her arm she delivered him a hard, neat upward jab to the nose. There was a nasty sound than the blood began to pour.  
  
"Dats fer yesterday!" she yelled at Oscar, now on the floor.  
  
Bailey and me cheered but we had forgotten about Morris. He came at Bailey and me from behind wrapping his arms around our necks.  
  
"Rememba dis." I said to Angel then turned, to face out, and shoved my elbow into his arm in one swift movement. Bailey did the same and I took the honor of knocking Morris backwards onto the bed. He tried to get up but Bailey held him down, Angel handed me the rope she was wearing as a belt, and I tied his hands together.  
  
"Yer gonna regret dis!" Morris said as Oscar moaned on the floor.  
  
"Get up!" Angel commanded him nudging him with her foot. Then when he didn't she yanked him up.  
  
"She's a whole new goil," I said to Bailey with a chuckle. "But we havta get outta hea before de Crypts show up, and we havta warn Christina."  
  
Bailey nodded"Get yer an Race's stuff tageda, I know where we can go," she said and I knew she didn't want to say where because of the DeLancys'.  
  
I grabbed all my stuff and wrapped it into a bundle. "Let's go dump dese bastard's inta a dumpsta."  
  
We dragged them down the stairs and true to my word we dumped them into a nearby Dumpster then headed quickly back to Christina's shop.  
  
We looked up and down the street then rushed across it into the shop. Christina was in the back getting out some new merchandise.  
  
"Christina," Bailey said as we stopped in front of her.  
  
She turned and looked at us, "Whudds de matta?"  
  
"De Crypts are comin and we need te leave, we don know when dey'll be hea", I explained.  
  
"Are ye guys ok?" she asked.  
  
"We just took care o de Delancys but dey were stupid an told us de Crypts were comin", Angel told her.  
  
"Thanks fer helpin us", I said to Christina as we turned to leave.  
  
"Sure anytime, bye", she called after us as we rushed back outside.  
  
We headed off swiftly for the bridge, heading for Manhattan. I knew I had to go find Race and tell him what had happened so he wouldn't go back to Brooklyn.  
  
"Where are Jack an Spot supposed te be?" I asked them.  
  
"Deyre in Manhattan today too. Deyre goin to a poka game t'nite in de Bronx." Bailey told me. "But dey should be at Tibbys or de lodgin house right now."  
  
"Ok, lets go to de lodgin house foist." I decided and there was no complaint as it was closer.  
  
We arrived breathless at the lodging house and burst in the door.  
  
I ran straight into Mush and Kid Blink. "Geez, I've got problems wid runnin inte people", I muttered to no one in particular.  
  
"Hey goils, whudds wrong?" Blink asked us.  
  
"Whudd else besides de Crypts?" Angel said.  
  
"De Crypts?" It was Crutchey who came over to join us.  
  
"Yea, dey figured out where I was", I told them.  
  
"Whudd!" Mush exclaimed. "Even de odda newsies, includin us, didn know where ye were. How'd dey figure dat out?"  
  
"Did anyone tell ye whudd happened yesterday?" Bailey asked them.  
  
"Oh yea, Jack did", Crutchey said. "But how did dey figure out where ye were?"  
  
"I guess dey followed us," Angel said shrugging her shoulders,"but didn want te mess wid six of us."  
  
"Dey didn come afta ya did dey?!" Blink asked, alarmed.  
  
"Dey did t'day," I said.  
  
"Are ye guys ok?" Crutchey asked, concerned.  
  
"Yea, were fine. Ye should be askin de Delancys dat question." Bailey said smirking.  
  
"Ang broke Osca's nose" I said proudly, laughing. "Dey busted inte Christina's apartment when me an Bai were teachin her how te fight."  
  
"Dose bullys", Crutchey said looking livid. "I'll soak em."  
  
"Oh I on think ye need te worry 'bout dat, we took care of it", Bailey said smugly.  
  
"Ye wanna show us some moves?" Blink teased Angel.  
  
"Hey ye betta not piss her off, she'll soak ye", Mush joked.  
  
"No time guys, sorry." Angel said with mock disappointment. "Besides, I'm betta in action." she added with a wink.  
  
"Hey, don get too full o yeself", Bailey scolded only in a way an older sister would.  
  
"Like ye aren't", Angel retorted.  
  
"Ok, ok", I stepped in, I didn't want them to get into one of their fights, we didn't have time. "No time fer dat eidda."  
  
Bailey and Angel rolled their eyes at each other then got over it.  
  
"So have ye guys seen Jack or Spot around hea?" I asked them.  
  
"Dey were at Tibbys' last I seen em", Crutchey offered. "And Race was headed fer de tracks", he added with a sly smile.  
  
I blushed. I forgot I hadn't seen them since me and Race got together. "Uh... thanks" I said for lack of better words.  
  
"Man!" Blink complained to Mush and Crutchey. "Wheneva a goil comes around she's taken by someone else."  
  
Mush nodded dejectedly. "Oua day will someday come", he said in mock seriousness. "Not dat I've got a problem wid de ladies or nuthin," he quickly added and we all laughed at him.  
  
"Ye too!" Mush said slinging his arms around Blink's and Crutchey's shoulders.  
  
"Yea...well we gotta go," Bailey said laughing at them.  
  
"See ya," they all said to us as we walked back out into the light and onto a crowded, noisy street. On the short walk to Tibbys we discussed what our next plan of action was to be after we talked to Jack, Race, and Spot.  
  
"Oh yea," Bailey said suddenly. "We could probably stay at Medda's t'night. I was gonna say eoilia but I didn't want de bastard broddas te hea where we might be."  
  
"Ok, sounds good te me," I agreed with her.  
  
"Were gonna have te figure out whudd te do dough. I mean we can't save you and keep runnin fer de rest of oua lives," Angel said logically.  
  
"Yea, I wudd hope not..." I said than trailed off. "But I still can't figure out whudd de solution is. I guess we'll haveta discuss dis lata. We're hea anyhow," I said as we walked up to the door of Tibby's restaurant. 


	23. Yet Another Escape

We entered Tibby's and looked around at the crowd searching for Jack or Spot. I then spotted Spot in the center of a group telling some story that seemed to be funny as everyone ws laughing while Spot smirked, seeming to be enjoying all the attention. I motioned to Bailey and Angel and we pushed our way through the crowd of laughing boys. Spot was about to speak again when Angel tapped him on the back. He turned around and told us to wait one second then turned back around.  
  
"God he's so dense sometimes," Angel said annoyed.  
  
She tapped him again but this time he just held up a finger and didn't even turn around. Angel finally got frusturated and yanked him around and kissed him on the mouth to get his attention. It worked. While all around the newsies were hooting and hollering Bailey and me looked on with amusement.  
  
"Will ye listen to me now?" Angel said exhasparatedly breathless as she stoped the kiss.  
  
"Umm...." He seemed to be at a loss for words. "Hey whudds wrong?" he said finally noticing we might have something important to say. "Doodles! Whudd are ye doin hea? Yer supposed ta be at..." he made sure no one else was listening in, "Christina's" he then whispered.  
  
"Ye know ye probaly don need te keep it a secret no more," Angel said. "De people we were tryin te hide it from know so oua friends might as well."  
  
"Whudd de ye mean...?" Spot said wary.  
  
"Weelll..." I said drawing it out, "Deyre was a slight problem wid dat."  
  
"Whudd?" he asked us looking at each of our concerened faces in turn.  
  
"De Delancy's," Bailey bagan, "Dey followed us yestaday. So dey barged in on us durin her fightin lesson," she said nodding at Angel.  
  
"WHUDD?!" Spot yelled making Tibby's go quiet for a few seconds. "Dey did whudd!! I'm gonna kill em! Are ye guys ok? Whudd did dey do?" he coninued in a quieter voice.  
  
"Well, we fought em...actually Angel broke Osca's nose. Den me an Bai took care o Morris. So dats not de problem," I told him.  
  
"Ye done me pround," Spot said to Angel who laughed. "But if dey weren't de problem whudd was?"  
  
"De problem was dat de Crypts were on deyre way cause o course de Delancy's told em where I was hidin," I finished. "But thankfully we got away before dey showed up and told Christina whudd had happened. But we needed to find ye and Jack. Oh I know Race is at the tracks but were gonna havta find him as well so he doesn't head back ta Brooklyn t'night."  
  
"Yea," Spot said in agreement.  
  
"Do ye know where Jack is?" Bailey asked him.  
  
"Umm no I haven't seen 'im fer awhile."  
  
"Well do ye know where he might be?" I asked. "I think he probaly should know 'bout dis too."  
  
Spot nodded thoughtfully and was silent for a second.  
  
"Oh, do ye think he might be at Medda's?" Bailey suggested.  
  
"Good idea," Spot said, "I fergot 'bout dat, I think he might be deyre wid Dave an Les."  
  
So we headed off together for Medda's with Spot promising the other newsies to finish 'showing off' (as Angel put it) later. We arrived a few short minutes later having filled Spot in on the finer details on the walk. He was impressed with what we told him about teaching Angel to fight and her use of her new skills. She was pleased and Bailey and me teased her about it since she hadn't been all that enthusiastic about learning in the first place.  
  
We walked into the side door of Medda's and looked around. From the music coming from the stage nearby we could tell that a show must be going on. Then the music stopped and there was applause and hoots coming from the audience. As we walked towards the vicinity of the stage Medda came towards us. I had seen her in the show I had watched with Spot, Angel, and Race on the first day I had come here but I had never actually met her in person. She was dressed in her stage cloths and makeup and smiled when she saw us.  
  
"Vell if it isn't Spot, Bailey, Angel, but who's dis?" she asked seeing me.  
  
"Oh I'm Doodles," I told her, "I was actually hea a week ago an saw ye, but I guess ye didn't see me."  
  
"Nice to meet you" she said. "And what can I do for you?"  
  
"Is Jack around?" Spot asked her. "We need te see him"  
  
"Yes he's with David and Les in the audience."  
  
"Thanks Medda," Angel said as we walked to find Jack.  
  
We saw him immediately as we walked in and saw he was talking to Dave and Les. He saw us and smiled then saw me and looked confused just like Spot had when he had first seen me at Tibby's.  
  
"Hey whudd's goin on?" he asked us. "Is everythin ok? Doodles whudd are ye doin hea?"  
  
So Jack made Dave take Les to get more candy and we told him everything. His reaction was about the same as Spot's had been.  
  
"So yer tellin me de Delancy's broke in an threatened youse tree goils?!" he seemed as though he was barely containing his anger.  
  
"Yea Jack. But we told ye we took care o dem an it's fine," Bailey tried to calm him down.  
  
"No it's not fine. Man Race is gonna flip out when he heas dis. Are ye sure ye's alright," he asked us all.  
  
"Yea, don worry," Angel said comfortingly.  
  
"Ok, as long as yer all fine...but don't worry, when we," he indicated Spot who nodded darkly and I think he meant Race as well, "get oua hands on dose bastards..." he punched his fist into his hand and made a fierce face. "Ok, where'd David an Les go? I need te tell em I'm leavin." He said considerably calmer.  
  
"Right," Spot said and we walked back to the side door. David and Les were there and Dave looked impatient.  
  
"Hurry up Les,"he said annoyed.  
  
"But I want mora candy," Les asid pushing Dave away cause he had tried to grab his arm.  
  
The clown who was holding the tray filled with a variety of candy as well as popcorn, laughed at them. "Fill up,"he said merrily to Les who did just that.  
  
"Dave?" Jack said to get his attention.  
  
Dave turned and looked at him then for some strange reason he looked at me with this funny expression on his face and stared for a moment.  
  
"Earth te Davy..." I said in a sing song voice, waving my hands in front of his face.  
  
"Oh...uh whudd did ye wan?" he asked Jack after tearing his eyes away from me.  
  
I looked at Angel and Bailey as Jack told him that we had to go. They both raised their eyebrows as if to say "whudds wid dat?" I shrugged at them than looked back to Dave and Jack.  
  
"Ok... I guess I'll see ya tommorow," Dave was saying.  
  
"See ya!" Les said happily, his mouth bulging with licorice.  
  
"Bye," all five of us said together and we walked out.  
  
Exactly one second later Dave flew out the door again and ran up to us. "Doodles, can I talk te ye?" he said decisivly as though he had come to a decisoin and was making himself say what he was about to say.  
  
"Dave we really don have time righ—"Spot started to say but was cut off by Dave.  
  
"But—"Dave said and was cut off by Jack.  
  
"Dave deyre's really sumthin urgent we gots te take care a" Jack said.  
  
"Please?"  
  
"Ok, ok just fer a second," I sighed and after an exchanged look with Bailey and Angel I walked a little ways from them. I wanted to see Race and make sure he was still happily unaware of everything that had happened meaning no one had followed him this morning. For some reason I had this nagging feeling that I needed to hurry to him and make sure he was ok.  
  
"Ok," Dave started up. "Well Doodles yer a really nice goil an I think that we could really connect and talk te ye. Soo...do ye kinda see where I'm goin wid dis?" he trailed off.  
  
I kinda did but I didn't want to belive he was gonna ask me out. I had only talked to him once and he seemed ok but kind of annoying at times when he acted like a goody-two shoe. But that was just my opinion. "And another thing," I was thinking to myself, "does he know about Race? Maybe he doesn't or maybe he thinks I'll dump Race to go out with him? Fat chance!" I thought and felt a little ashamed by being so mean but hey they were my thoughts.  
  
"So whudd de ye say?" he was saying.  
  
"Oh! Whudd did ye say?" I asked him coming out of my thoughts.  
  
"Will ye go out wid me?" he said I supposed for the second time.  
  
"Well...geez...uh Dave ye know I can't... Don't ye?" I still wasn't sure if he knew about Race and me.  
  
"Why not?!" he said than cursed to himself.  
  
"Umm...I'm sorry," I said and felt bad for him. "Don't ye know I have a boyfriend?"  
  
"Whudd? No one told me dat," he looked embarassed. "Who is he?" he asked miserably.  
  
"Race..."  
  
"Man...I didn't know. Can ye make sure he doesn't beat me up?" he said sounding worried.  
  
"Yea...whuddeva," I said trying not to laugh at him because I had just though that Angel could probaly fight better than him. I felt kinda bad about that after I had thought it but David was way too easy to make fun of. "Yea well I gotta go. Sorry..." I said and I walked away from him.  
  
I walked back up to the four of them embarassed.  
  
"Whudd was all dat about?" Bailey asked me curiously.  
  
"Guess Dave's gettin a little lonely...man, ye guys really need te find him a goil," I said to Jack and Spot in particular.  
  
Angel gasped getting my meaning about the lonely comment. "He didn't just ask you...?" she ended on a question.  
  
I nodded my face turning slightly red. First Bailey then everyone else caught on and thier reactions made me laugh.  
  
"Oh my god!" (Bailey)  
  
"Geez de walkin mouth really did it dis time." (Jack shaking his head)  
  
(Laughter from Spot)  
  
"Yea, yea," I said. "I jus can't believe he didn know 'bout me an Race," I said still somewhat in disbelief. "I mean I thought half de population of New Yawk would know 'bout dat by now. Especially wid youse foua newises basically bellowin it out like a fresh headline."  
  
"Oops well I guess it jus didn't come up," Jack shrugged, "Who wants te bet dat Race'll freak?"  
  
Spot raised one of his arms but was still laughing and couldn't talk. They slaped hands and us three girls rolled our eyes at them.  
  
"Wow, deyre bettin on Race dis time, not wid 'im." I laughed.  
  
"Lets go," Bailey said impatiently to them. So we headed off for Sheepshed to find Race. 


	24. Meeting at the Races

It was very crowded with people coming and going. I was still embarrased about the whole Dave thing and I wondered what Race would do when he found out about it. I also was still laughing about the whole "can you make sure he won't beat me up" thing. We ended up finding Race where Jack suspected he would be, by the other gamblers and I saw he still had his shirt. I walked up behind him and tapped him on the shoulder then gave him a hug. He swung around and looked just as surprised as Jack and Spot to see us.  
  
"Whudd are ye doin hea?" asked confused, his expression mirroring the ones that Jack and Spot had had when we showed up to see them.  
  
"Well ids been a rough day...which one of ye wants te explain whudd happened?" I said a little tired of relating everything that had happened and now seemed far away.  
  
"Ok," Bailey began. "Stay calm."  
  
"Whudd de ye mean stay calm??" he said and I could pretty much tell that that probaly wasn't going to work with him. Normaly a cool, easy going guy, Race had a fierce temper when he used it.  
  
"When me an Ang were at Christina's t'day, me an Doodles were teachin her some fightin," Bailey began. "Den all of a sudden de Delancy's boist inte de door of de apartment."  
  
"De Delancy's!! Dey followed us?!" Race caught on quicker than the rest.  
  
"Yea," I said. "So dey threatened us and tried to beat us up. But as everyone hea knows deyre stupid so dey think were pooa defenseless goils."  
  
Bailey cut in again. I think she really enjoys this kicking ass stuff. "So foist Osca tried ta punch Ang but she showed him dat she ain't as defensless as he thought. She broke his nose."  
  
Race who had been looking angry and worried let out a guffaw. "Man I whoulda payed te see dat!"  
  
"So," I continued, "afta me and Bailey took care a Morris we told Christina whudd happened an left. But deyre was one problem. De Delancy's tipped off de Crypts an dey were on deyre way when we left so dey caught on my trail."  
  
Race was speechless for a few moments he looked to be thinking hard about what I had just said. "Oh...shit,"was all he said. "So did ye eva see em on yer way te Manhattan?"  
  
"No, thank god," Angel said.  
  
We were all silent for a few moments, standing there, just thinking. I was trying to think of someway that this could all be over. Meaning just that Shadow, his cronies in the Crypts, and the Delancys would just leave us alone. But to me there really were only three options. Getting them all in jail, but then again not all of them would go to jail so there would always be someone after us to take revenge for getting all their or his pals in jail. We could keep going on like we had been, hiding back and forth between cities and lodging houses and friend's places, but I'm sure they'd catch up to us in the end just like they had that day. And the third option...well that to me this seemed the most unconcievable...Shadow's death. Since he was the only one who really cared about me if he was gone then maybe the others wouldn't even care and leave us alone. Well the Crypts were always not too friendly with newsies but they could still not be on us like this, day after day. All the time with us hardly having a breath in between running and hiding. "In fact" I thought to myself, "I'm tired of running, hiding, being the scardy cat. Because that's just not me," I was the girl with no father, no past who learned to fight to survive while mother tried so hard then in the end...look how that had turned out for her. I was trying so hard not to feel the sadness and despair that was welling in and hurting my heart. It seemed as if there was no escape any solution only heartache and hurt at each turn in the maze.  
  
"Whudder we gonna do!" I shouted suddenly into our silence, though there was still a lot of surrounding noise from the races. "Deyre at us whicheva way we toin! Dey ain't neva gonna let up till I die or we kill one o dem...well actually dey'd probaly be afta us more if we killed ona dem!" I was so frusterated and I really was at breaking point though I had ignored it before. I couldn't stand to see them infringing on everyone's lives. Race who should be at the tracks and playing poker to his heart's content, was with me day after day. Then Bailey, Angel, Spot, and Jack too. They devoted their time to helping me and it wasn't fair to them. Then I asked myself, who was it fair to? Because it certainly wasn't fair to me. I didn't do anything besides witness the death of a loved one, the only loved one I had at that time. And this is what I got. "I suppose," I grudgingly thought to myself, "whoever said life's not fair was so true, they probaly don't know how right they were." I took a deep breath to try and calm myself some then realized that Jack was talking.  
  
"—ne a two things," he was saying.  
  
"Woah, whudd did ye say? I was lost in me thoughts for a moment.  
  
"I said we could do one a two things, well mebe dere's moa but I think," he began again for my benefit," I think we could attempt to talk to em foist off..."  
  
"Jack, Jack, Jack," Spot said shaking his head. "Dis reminds me o sumthin...strike ring a bell? Ids de same wid me now...no deyre is gonna be danger if we try ta negotiate. I know de Crypts, dey won't hold deyre word an I'm sure it'd be way moa satisfyin to disfigure deyre faces a little."  
  
"Strike?" I asked a little confused, "Whudd strike?"  
  
"Newsies strike," Race said. "De pape companies increased the cost of deir papes when we were makin little enough as it was at de time. So we went on strike, got all de newsies in New Yawk on it plus de woikers in sweatshops and den bike messangers. To make a long story short de papes gave up in de end an we got our normal pape cost back."  
  
I was surprised to hear all of this, I had never heard anything about it and I had been in Harlem selling my occasional pape. But I wasn't in with the newsie crowd...no I just snuck in to buy papes once in awhile, it definatly had not been like Manhattan. There had been trouble, so I had distanced myself from all the newsies there, even those that might have been considered my friends...  
  
I jerked myself bck out of my head and my memories then asked, "When was dis?"  
  
"Hmm...'bout a yea ago," Race said then looked at Jack and Spot for confermation. They both nodded.  
  
I then understood why I had not heard of it. I had been busy with my own problems.  
  
"Hello? Back te me ideas," Jack complained having been interuppted by my curiosity about the strike.  
  
"I'll tell ye moa lata," Race said with a wink. He could tell that I wanted to know more. I smiled.  
  
"So," Jack said with a pointed look at Spot who looked a little disgusted with him. "Don worry dis plan has a fall back."  
  
"It betta be good," Spot said, "I'm worried yer gonna start talkin like a walkin mouth"  
  
"Stop talkin 'bout dat!" Race exclaimed.  
  
"Can I go on?" Jack complained again.  
  
"Calm down!" Bailey said to Jack, "Stop actin like a goil. An Spot stop talkin 'bout when he went te Brooklyn wid Davy te ask ye te join de strike, were not gonna feed yer ego anymoa an tell ye Brooklyn rules!" Bailey set them in their places then  
  
"Geez, I'm so confused," I complained because they were obviously talking about the strike again.  
  
Angel who hasn't said anything in a while was just laughing at us as she listened to all of our complaints and repremands.  
  
"So," Jack bagan again for the third time or at least I think it was third, I had lost count. "We should try te negotiate wid dem foist like say leave us alone or...well we'll havta thinka sumthin. If dey don't agree te dat den we fallback on..."  
  
"De fallback?" Race suggested trying to contain his laughter as this was a serious subject. But then again Angel wasn't concerning herself with trying to control her laughter.  
  
"Haha," Jack said sarcastically. "Yer crackin me up," he said loading on the sarcasm.  
  
"Soo Jack...whudds de fallback?" Spot asked him when he didn't say anything more.  
  
"Well I was thinkin along de lines of de strike," he began enthusiastically.  
  
"Wait," Bailey stopped him before he went on, "Why don't we leave an go somewheres else te discuss dis? We're in de middle of a crowd an dis might be kinda private."  
  
"Ok," everyone agreed and we headed out of the races.  
  
"Why don we head ta Meddas'?" Jack suggested then. "Dey might not think te look dere right away if dey come te Manhattan, lookin fer ye." He said looking at me.  
  
We all agreed and set off for a safe refuge at Medda's place.  
  
We arrived and Jack led us upstairs And we entered a room that looked to be just a typical bedroom.  
  
"Ready fer me idea now?" Jack asked us all as we got comfertable.  
  
"Sure, go ahead," Bailey said to him.  
  
"Ok", he said clasping his hands together purposfully. "De foist part is de negoitiatin. I think we should try getting em te leave us alone. Whudd I said 'bout de strike eoilier is dat maybe we could get a bunch o newsies tageda fer numbers foist te intimidate dem. But I have a feeling dat as much as I would like this te woik, its not gonna. So jus like de strike whudd was de fallback?" he looked around at all of us questioningly.  
  
"We'll soak em!" Race and Spot shouted joyfully together.  
  
"An how do ye think we'll manage to do dat?" Angel said doubtfully.  
  
"Well if we get enough newsies rallied..." Bailey said.  
  
"But den why would newsies wanna come te fight fer sumthin they probaly don care 'bout?" I asked feeling a little put out. "Most of dem don even know me an why whudd dey wan te risk getting deirselfs hoit fer me?"  
  
"Heres de deal," Jack began. "Newsies might not care dat yer de reason dat dey're gonna rally. Deres a few reasons dey is. Foist dey all know me an Spot hea te be de greatest leada's of de New Yawk newsies and Race hea's me right hand man. Good guy." Both Jack an Spot looked way to egotistic after this, both smirking like fools while Race just sat and chuckled.  
  
"Well dats a great reason", Bailey rolled her eyes at them. "I hope ye have a backup."  
  
"Yea if dats all we're goin on den lets stop while we're ahead," I said agreeing with Bailey and Angel nodded agreeing with both of us.  
  
"Geez, dey're ye go deflatin oua egos again," Jack said.  
  
"Yea as oua goilfriends I think ye should be a little moa supportin of oua good looks an powa," Spot said looking as Jack did: deflated.  
  
"Ok," Jack said, "Fine. Anodda reason dey whudd wanna help us whudd be all newsies hate de Crypts an de Delancys'. We all hate em so much dat any newise who wasn't a pussy whudd wanna take a shot at em, especially if we had numbers an a real chance."  
  
Spot chuckled, then said, "Neva fea Brooklyn's hea!" Everybody but me laughed while I looked at them confused.  
  
"Is dis sumthin to do wid de strike again?" I asked feeling out of it again.  
  
"Yea," Angel answered. "I wasn't dere but I've hoid 'bout it a lot before. De newsies got ambushed by de Crypts when dey were tryin te get odda newsies te join de strike. Dat was just de Manhattan newsies. Spot had said dat he wanted Jack's newsies ta prove dat dey whudden't be afraid te fight. So like he said he showed up and Broolklyn and Manhattan took out de Crypts tagedda."  
  
"So whudd, did ye actually say dat when ye got deyre?" I asked Spot who looked very proud.  
  
"Well yea," he said. "Hey don give me dat look," he said to me. I was looking at him with my eyebrows raised trying not to laugh. "It was all I could think of at de time. It seemed apropriate."  
  
"Anyways," Jack cut in as he had been doing a lot that day said. "I think all de smart newises whudd wanna try ta get back at dey Crypts fer all de rotten stuff dey've done ova de years. And believe me de've done plenty."  
  
"Dat actually could woik..." I said hopefully. "But I don wan any newsies te get hoit because deyre all fightin, it whudd really be my fault." I knew if that happened I would feel awful and I knew it really would b emy fault.  
  
"Ye know Doodles," Spot said about to give me a little Brooklyn logic, "Ye can't stop any o dis an de way it was started wasn't yer fault eidda. If we're gonna blame someone, its gotta be Shadow. Unless you hired Shadow te do dat te yer mudda den its not yer fault at all."  
  
It turned out Brooklyn logic made more sense then I had given it credit for. I nodded, "Thanks Spot. But its really hard not te blame yerself fer messin up stuff," I said then looked around at all the warning looks being shot at me from all sides and I added, "but I'll try not to." That seemed to satisfy everyone for the time being and they all smiled with approval. "Geez I'm moa likely te be killed by all o ye if I say dat I feel bad dan by Shadow."  
  
"Well dats cause we care 'bout ye" Bailey said in one of her moments of seriousness. Everyone agreed with her on this and nodded.  
  
"Yep kinda sucks, but fer some odd reason we do," Spot said pretending to look as though this was such a hardship for him. I laughed and hugged him then in answer to a look from Race that said plainly "Aww I wan one", I gave him a hug as well. Then to make it fair I hugged Jack, Bailey and Angel as well.  
  
"Thanks," I said trying not to tear up even if it was happiness that swelled through me, not sadness. I had friends and they cared about me, were going to help me get out of trouble no matter what. I think they had already proved that much by what we had been through together.  
  
"Why don we go talk ta Medda now an see if she whudden't mind us stayin de night, den lets go get sumthin te eat, I'm starvin," Spot suggested showing his infamous leadership.  
  
Angel and me laughed, he was thinkin with his stomach again. The four of them rolled their eyes, though they did it lovingly, and walked out of the room while we scrambled to catch up to them, still laughing. 


	25. The Dream

There was a figure in the dark. Though I couldn't see distinct features, I could tell it was a boy and a scrawny one at that. I could hear him panting and I tried to catch up to him but he kept running. The way he was running reminded me of the night when Shadow tried to kill me, and how I had run, without thoughts in my head and only fear. I wondered what was wrong with this boy, the thought of where I was or how I got to that dark place not even occuring to me. I called after him my voice slicing through the darkness and silence like a newly sharpened knife. "Wait! Hold on!" I cried and I heard his anguished panting as he pushed himself harder and ran off into the dark where I couldn't reach him. After I lost him I stopped, not knowing what to do but I followed my instincts and back tracted my steps. I knew I just had this feeling I had to figure out what had happened to the boy, why was he running? Nevermind I had no business in it and had no real reason for this need to find out what had happened on that blackest of black nights. I continued to follow the path I had run after the boy backwards until I saw a faint glow of light. I walked closer to it and saw a disheveled house with one illuminating candlestick glowing from the interior of the building. I was compelled to enter the house, no matter the reason why. I just had to. So I entered and was shocked at the disaster of the inside. Furniture, which there wasn't much of, was tossed over on the floor, one chair leg broken off, ends splintered. There were a few holes bashed into the walls of the hallway as I walked down it, looking to have been created by fists bashing in the walls with fury. As I continued walking through the house, passing a bedroom in the same condition as the sitting room, it seemed as though I could hear echos of the shouts that must have burst from the walls an hour before. "Ye dirty bastard, come hea!" one shouted, in a man's furious tones. "Get away! Mom, where are ye? Help! I hate ye!! Get away from me! NO!" this was another voice, younger pleading in the rage that came from pure hatred and fury. These voices echoed through the house, me beginning to get a feeling of foreboding. I knew what must have taken place here and looking down at the floor I saw spots of fresh blood dripped on the floor, then a knife a little farther back. At the end of the hallway there was one last doorway. I stopped then and fear filled me for no apparent reason. But still, believing in my spine, I walked through. It was a normal washroom, this room not as broken as the rest of the house. There was a mirror, as I turned towards it I saw in the mirror an unfamiliar face, that couldn't truly be a face at all. Half of it was bloody and cut, unrecognizable to me and I realized the blood was from my face dripping on the floor of the bathroom as it had already through the house. As I stood there, in the house I didn't know with voices of anger and fear echoing around me louder and louder, I screamed...  
  
I was still screaming as Race shook me awake, and I opened my eyes. I was disoriented, the pictures of the silouette of the terrified boy, the house, the destruction and the face that wasn't a face all still flashing in front of my eyes. Then those unwanted visions cleared and I was in bed in the room Medda let Race and me occupy with Race holding me worried and anxious.  
  
"Its ok, yer alright. I'm hea," he said holding me and rocking back and forth as one would comfort a crying baby.  
  
My face was damp, and I realized that I must have cried in my sleep. "Race?" still disoriented I asked for him. Then remembering I felt my face to make sure it still was whole and mine. It was and relief flowed through me, the dream had been that real.  
  
"Yea, yea, it's me," he said comforting me. "Are ye ok? Was it a nightmare?"  
  
"I guess," I said coming back to reality more. "I don want te think about it"  
  
"Ok, as long as yer alright. Geez, ye scared de shit outta me," he said continuing to hold on to me, for which I was greatful. My limbs were weak and the nightmare, for it had been a nightmare, haunted me even with the cheerful sun filtering through the gauzy curtians.  
  
"Just hold me, ok?"  
  
"I think I can handle dat," he said and did just that. 


	26. A Look into the Past

Later the dream still haunted me in the back of my mind but that's where I kept it, so as not to bother me. I wondered however. Why would I dream anything like that? I hardly ever remembered if I had had dreams. But this was so vivid in my memory it was as if it actually happened. Though I had all these thoughts to myself I kept them to myself, so not to trouble the others. We were busy enough as it was, we had a newsie rally to organize.  
  
I was excited and nervous at the prospect of the crowd that we were trying to gather. We decided to hold it out in the open somewhere so there would be open space if things got nasty. First of course we needed messengers or "ambastards" as Jack called them, to round up the newsies we wanted from other cities of New York.  
  
We of course already had Manhattan and Brooklyn, but we wanted numbers. We decided to split up and make trips to different cities. Jack also delegated Kid Blink, Boots, and Bumlets to travel to Queens, and Crutchey, Mush and Jake to talk to the Bronx newsies. Jack, Angel, and Bailey were going to stay in Manhattan to watch out for trouble with you-know-who and the Crypts not to mention watch out for the sneaking Delancy's. As we discussed this in the afternoon at Tibby'' restaurant I was told I was going somewhere with Race and Spot.  
  
I was oblivious as to where we were headed once we left but I didn't really care as I felt I was just along for the ride.  
  
"So where are we headin?" I asked just to make conversation.  
  
Both Spot and Race looked uncomfortable for some reason. "Well were goin te Harlem. We figured ye know some o de newsies deyre and dey whudden't mind joinin" Spot said after a moment. "I jus came along because everyone knows who I am and dey'ed probaly listen to me," he smirked like before when he had been joking with Jack but when he saw my face go white he stopped smirking.  
  
"Hey Doodles, whudds de matta?" Race asked me worried. I had stopped dead in my tracks and they had stopped with me.  
  
"I don think I should go te Harlem," I said quietly.  
  
"Why not?" Spot asked me. "Whudd happened?"  
  
I didn't want to remember because it was painful, not the kind of pain Shadow had induced in my life, it was the rejected kind of pain that was administered by one adolecent to another. But because they should know what happened, I told them.  
  
Harlem, a year before the death of Doodle's mother:  
  
Brin, she wasn't called Doodles yet of course, woke up on a beautiful morning in April and felt happy. She heard her mother calling her to wake her up. "I wonder if she needs my help in the shop t'day" Brin mused as she rolled out of her small comfortable bed and walked into the kitchen and living area of the apartment.  
  
"Mornin mum," she said as she saw her mother sitting at the small table made pretty by a vase of flowers in the center.  
  
Her mother, a dignified, beautiful woman despite the hard life she had lived just looked at Brin, no customary smile on her face.  
  
"Whudds de matta?" Brin asked her warily. "Is sumthin wrong?"  
  
"Well," her mother began carfully obviously making sure to pick the right words. "We're not doin so good right now, with the payments on the building and all our other expenses we have to keep up with."  
  
Brin didn't say anything for a moment but she just watched her mother and she observed the tiredness on her face and the dark circles under her eyes. "Whudd do ye need me ta do?" Brin asked finally, knowing she would have to pull her weight for them to now survive and make a living.  
  
"I hate te do this te ye..." her mother wavered, not wanting to make her only daughter release er last bit of childhood.  
  
"Just tell me mum. I'm sixteen I know a lot of girls my age woik. Dey havta if dey're gonna survive, an if I havta join em den I will." Brin had always wanted to work, to help with the apartment and sewing shop below, but also just to be independent and have something of her own. As much as she loved and admired her mother she just wanted to be free, and live her life the way she chose, her dream being to one day travel the work and be an artist. With living in a small apartment with her mother those dreams had never seemed possible, almost as if they were to big for the small life they led.  
  
"Ok, I think you could go be a news girl full time. I know its not de best thing a young lady does...but you'll be careful, I know you will." The one thing Brin's mother had always wanted for her daughter the most was for her to have the best, and be a lady like the ones that would visit her shop and buy fabrics of velvet and silk.  
  
Brin had sold papes before and knew the ropes, some of the Harlem newsies had even been nice to her and she thought that maybe she could make some friends. Because her mother always been such a protechtor of her, and had homeschooled her and kept such a tight leash around her she had never been able to make friends. She had no way to. Now she would be released out into the world, free to make friends for whom she had always yearned.  
  
"Ok!" Brin couldn't contain her excitement. The one thing her mother had never understood was that it didn't matter how fine and fancy you lived but how happy you were with your life. Brin thought that her mother needed more happiness but she hadn't yet learned how to give it to her but she so badly wanted to give it to her. "I'm glad ye've asked me ta woik. I'm old enough and I will be carefull."  
  
Her mother still didn't look thrilled at the idea of sending Brin to wotk. But she thought about her late night number crunching looking for an alternative but she had found none. It was either give up the shop and apartment or have Brin work and she seemed eager enough for that anyways.  
  
"Well than, I guess you start t'day," her mother said trying to make her face cheerful. "Have fun, I'm going to the shop now, it's time to open. But be careful," her mother said backing towards the door, looking as if she did not want Brin to go anywhere.  
  
Brin nodded. "Thanks mum, I will."  
  
"And don't talk to strangers, oh be home before it's dark, it can be dangerous..."her mother added as she grasped the handle of the door to go downstairs to the shop.  
  
"Mum, I'll be fine," Brin said exasparated. "I'll be fine."  
  
Her mother nodded, turned and walked out the door. Her footsteps were heard faintly going down the stairs as Brin spun in a tight circle hugging her arms to herself in happiness. Then she hurried off to get ready to sell.  
  
There were things that Brin's mother didn't know about her daughter and would have her horrified if she knew. Not that they were bad things, they were just things that Brin's mother would consider improper. One was that Brin knew how to fight and had used her skills more than once. She had realized that fighting was a skill that she must have, growing up where she did and she had learned this first hand.  
  
When she was eight years old her mother, much loved though rather naïve sent her alone, to a nearby shop to pick up some random items they needed. Just an inocent little girl, Brin hadn't noticed the big boys following her. When they pushed her into an alley and stole the milk and other items she had picked up plus the rest of her money she had with her she had not been able to stop them. Neither had she been able to stop them when they punched her face and body. When she walked home bloodied up and bruised, it had terrified her mother who had always been weak, never one to stand up to male defiance or agression. So her mother kept her in the apartment giving her an education but only allowed out when it was light. But Brin, so different from her mother needed air and space.  
  
Though always obedient to her mother she realized in this she could not be. She snuck out during the night and found a place that taught her how to fight. She would go out a night even if just for a bit of air and freedom. Her mother never knew anything about her disobediance to her and Brin never had felt reason to tell her.  
  
Brin walked down the street enjoying the freedom of walking alone. It was only a short walk to the distrabution center in Harlem and she arrived to find it already crowded with newsies. She was walking towards the line to join it when hands clamped themselves over her eyes.  
  
"Guess who." Came an obviously distorted voice of a boy. Brin had an idea of who it might be but she wasn't sure.  
  
"Uh...I dunno," she said not wanting to say the wrong peson.  
  
"Oh fine, ye spoil sport."  
  
The hands came away from her eyes and she saw she had, in her head guessed right. It was Deuce, a newsie she had met during her occasional selling. She had known him a short time but in that time she had begun to like him more than a friend. She had not had any experience with boys before and she wasn't sure of these new feelings inside her. She was nervous in this but she made her forward personality take charge.  
  
"Guess whudd," she said to him as they stood in line together.  
  
"Whudd?" he asked her.  
  
"I'm gonna be sellin ful time now," she said and the thrill of independence swept through her again.  
  
"Hey dats great!" he said to her then looked embarassed. "Uh, I'm guessin dat dat's a good thing?"  
  
"Yea," Brin told him happy. She thought he was the perfect guy, so nice, understanding and not to mention totally handsome. She was amazed at her good luck that she would be able to see him every day from now on.  
  
"Good....uh do ye think ye'd maybe wanna sell wid me t'day?" he said unsure of himself. He thought she was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen and interesting as well. He looked at her hopefully.  
  
Brin didn't have to think twice. "Sure! I mean I'd love te," she said not wanting to sound as eager and happy as she really was.  
  
So theygot their papers and headed off happily for a day of selling together.  
  
Life was good. This was one thing that Brin was sure of as she walked to the distribution center that morning happy at the prospect of earning money and seeing Deuce. It had been three weeks since she had begun full time and she couldn't have been happier at how things were going. Deuce had asked her out a week after she had started full time and she of course had said yes. So far it was perfect, they sold together, talked together and had fun when selling and also when not selling. She grinned as she thought about their first kiss, the feeling of...she went on grinning and thinking of him and that as she contunued making her way to work.  
  
As Brin walked on happily someone else was thinking about her and not in the way one wants to be thought of. This someone wasn't against Brin, not really. His name was Knuckles and what he was, besides being a Harlem newsie, was cruel. He enjoyed making people feel horrible and always had, he didn't know why and didn't really give a damn why, he just did what made him happy no matter how it made other people feel. He also was one to use his opportunities and take his chances, as long as it didn't risk him being the one to get pissed on. He had an opportunity and he was gonna take a chance today on the new girl.  
  
"Brin..." he though her name to himself. Now she was one he wouldn't mind getting his hands on except for that bastard Deuce. He had been smooth on that one Knuckles thought. He was just a joke, nothing real there except for the fact he probably wanted to get some. For that though he couldn't blame him. But that was besides the point, today he was going to spill all in front of everybody and he would enjoy watching the breakup of that unperfect couple and Brin's devestation...  
  
Brin arrived and this time she snuck up on Deuce.  
  
"Good mornin," she said as he whirled around to face her.  
  
He forced a grin. This whole thing wasn't even going anywhere with her all happy and romantic, but hey he was going to stick with it, for now at least. "Good mornin," he leaned forwards and kissed her on the mouth. When he didn't break away Brin moved away and grabbed his hand then pulled him towards the line to get their papes.  
  
As they talked about nothing in particular on that sunny perfect day, they suddenly heard a commotion. They looked over at the entry gates and saw a newsie that Brin recognized but didn't know. He was talking to her she realized.  
  
"Brin" the boy called in a raised voice.  
  
"Yea?" she said questioningly. "Do I know ye?" she then added boldly.  
  
"Who doesn't know me?" he responded cockily. "Me names Knuckles."  
  
"Whudd de ye wan?" Deuce then said to him harshly repeating what Brin had said.. He knew about Knuckles's notorius reputaion for stealing the ladies and didn't want him infringing on his territory.  
  
"Jus wanted te bring some news I thought was rather interestin fer everyone te hea," he said the grin on his face not becoming melevilent.  
  
Now the area had quieted and Knuckles was the center of attention. He had more than one remembered reputation. He had the reputation for finding the most interesting news, really it was gossip, and though most tended to be lies no one wanted to be the one to miss out on the latest news from Knuckles. It would most likely be the topic of concorsation for the next week if it was as good as it had been in the past.  
  
"Whudd de ye mean?" Brin said warily. She had noticed the change in all the newsies surrounding them. Obviously this Knuckles was someone to watch out for though she didn't yet know why. She would soon find out.  
  
"Where's yer fadda?" Knuckles he taunted her and her color immediately flushed into pink. He always enjoyed the taunts before going in for the kill.  
  
"I don see how dats any a yer business," she said trying to remain cool despite the hurt and anger that ran through her. "I don even know ye so why de ye care?" she attempted to walk with dignaty off the platform to leave but Deuce grabbed her arm. She looked at him questioningly.  
  
"So jus spill it," Deuce said. "Whudds de big story?"  
  
Brin felt as though she had been betrayed. Knuckles had no right to go telling everyone her lifes history, though she was a little confused. There was nothing scandolous about her life except for her father leaving her and her mother on account of being a bastard. But as he had already revealed that what was to come? She didn't really know because it had sounded like the jest about her father was only the beginning.  
  
"After her fadda left her an her wretched mudda," he began as though telling some lovely story to all those standing around waiting for each word. He continued. "For reasons only he may know dey wera poora dan sin. Brin's mudda woiked in sweatshops te support her an her baby, Brin o course. But..." he took a dramatic pause, "out o de blue she came along some money an wah la, dey had a shop, an apartment, an food on de table." He turned his attention to Brin completely."Betcha don't know how she got dat money." He taunted her as she only had one thought in her head, to deck him straight in the face. She longed to see blood gush from his nose when he broke it. But she restrained herself for her mother and what she had taught her about being a lady.  
  
When she didn't reply he laughed. "I know. Yer mudda was a whore. She got fed up with the life o hard work an no payoff so she sold her body te live high. Ye've got whore blood in ye, how many times ye whored yeself eh? How much?" he took a coin out of his pocket and tossed it into the air, grinning maliciously.  
  
She couldn't restrain herself any longer. "How dare ye ye bastard! How could ye even say dat bout me an me mudda?! Ye don know me an ye don know her! She isn't a whore an she worked honestly te get de shop an dis life fer me!" as she yelled this at him she jumped off the platform and ran towards him. She moved to punch him straight in the face but at that time she was hardly practiced with her fighting and especially not with the dirty fighting that was used by the thugs on the street in Harlem. Her right arm was strong as it headed for his face but he swung his arm around and hitting her in the stomach totally winded her to the point where she was on the ground, the air totally gone from her lungs. She couldn't exactly tell what was going on around but she could hear Knuckles's laughter and what possibly some other' s as well. She looked up at Deuce who had followed her off the platform, expecting him to help her, defend her. She saw almost immediately that he had no intention of doing so though. His face was distorted into an expression foreign to her, disgust.  
  
"Deuce?" she said with a question in het tone wondering what was wrong. Why wasn't he helping her, defending her from the bastard who had managed to strike her down?  
  
"I ain't datin no whore," he said simply and as Brin regained her feet turned from her.  
  
"I'm not a whore!" Brin exclaimed in a shout as she began to cry. "And neither was me mudda! How could ye?" she asked Deuce's back as he began te walk away. He never turned around but kept walking. In the next months she would be glad of that because of the bastard he was but at that moment all she wanted was a friend to comfort and protect her. She wouldn't find one there.  
  
Knuckles was still laughing and she turned towards him ignoring the crowd of newsies surrounding them in the distrubution center. Some looked sympathetic though some shared the same melevolent smile and chuckle as Knuckles. She didn't care about them just then however.  
  
"Burn in hell!" she shouted at Knuckles and knowing she couldn't beat the living shit out of him as she so desperatly wanted to she ran from the center sobbing.  
  
Brin didn't tell her mother about what had happened with Deuce and Knuckles and though she really was curious about how her mother had gotten the money, for even she didn't know she never asked and her mother would die before she got a chance to. Over the next few days Brin attempted to keep up her work as a newsie, but after awhile she couldn't take it any longer so she decided she must get another job. Unluckily for her the only open spot for someone like her was at a sweatshop. But Brin knew she would never be able to see those newsies again or the others who had watched her be humiliated and shamed. So she went to work everyday from sun up to sun down never telling her mother the reason she was out so early and back so late. Every once in awhile she would pass one of the newsies in the street and they would yell things at her to horrible to write, but she still bared it all and kept her dignaty for it was all she had left...  
  
I finished telling my story to Race and Spot and they looked a little stunned.  
  
"I neva got te have friends befora youse..." I said shamefully. "Dats why I thought...I thought that ye'd wan me gone."  
  
"Dose assholes!" Spot exclaimed. "I don know all de Harlem newsies to good but dey're all bastards."  
  
Race had put his arms around me in comfort but I still felt stupid. All the feelings I had over all this a year ago were coming back, especially the hurt. But them I realized that the hurt wasn't a sharp pain anymore, it was transforming into fury. How dare they have done that to me, they had no right all. It had just been plain cruelty. I felt myself fill with new determination to achive my dreams, a determination I couldn't have found without my new found friends.  
  
"Thanks ye guys," I said. "But now I've decided dat I wanna go te Harlem. I wanna show em whudd I've become an dat I ain't afraid o dem anymoa."  
  
"Lets go," Race said anger in his eyes but determination as well. "We're gonna show dose Harlem idiots whudd dey missed out on."  
  
I laughed. "I'm glad ye guys weren't as dumb an petty as dey were."  
  
"Hell if I was dat pig brained I whudden't be leada o Brooklyn," Spot said.  
  
I felt good now and ready to kick ass. It had never come into my head when I was living in Harlem but now, now I was a changed girl. My new friends had brought out the best in me and I was greatful for them and that.  
  
"Ok, lets go!" I said and we started off for Harlem full of new determination. 


	27. A Trip of Memories

I recognized where we were right away. After all I had lived there for pretty much my entire life, seventeen years until I ran from Shadow on the night of my mother's death. We passed shops and residences as I led them unconsiously towards the distrubution center. I knew that we would pass it soon, I was prepared for it but I wondered what had become of it since I had run. The sewing shop was dark and looked as though no one had entered it since it was deserted.  
  
I stopped Race and Spot. "Uh...do ye mind...if I look around fer a minute?" I asked them. Then realizing that they didn't know this was where I had grown up I said, "Oh dis is me apartment, an me mudda's shop." Tears still stung my eyes as I said those words. The apartment had never meant anything to me while I lived there but it still had memories for the long years I lived there with my mother.  
  
They both nodded at me, not saying anything and letting me lead the way to the back of the building. I walked up the stairs, remembering stumbling down them in the dark. Then turned the knob of the unlocked door at the top of them. The bag of groceries I had come home with the night I found Shadow were gone. No doubt stolen by some homeless person. I didn't care though. I walked in and looked around. The inside of the kitchen and living area looked as it had been before I had left and I took a long sweeping look around it then walked down the hallway that would lead to the bedrooms and washroom. Racetrack and Spot followed me silently looking around with curiosity. I came first to my mother's bedroom, the one she had been murdered in. I stopped in the doorway and stared. The bulls taking care of their simple job of removing the dead had taken her body, no doubt. But there was blood, I flashed back to that night when we stared at each other when she took her final breath. The gun was still there however, and I didn't touch it, didn't want to. I didn't linger here for I could recall to plainly what everything had looked like on that night. I then walked farther down the hall to my room. It was the same as I had left it, not messed up at all and it was almost like before my mother was killed. The breezy curtains still pulled over the open windows, the coverlet on the bed still folded carefully as though just made. I looked around then opened the drawers of the small nightstand and looked under the matress on my bed. All my cloths were still folded neatly in the drawers of the nightstand and I left the drawers open as I looked at the treasures I had pulled from beneath the matress. They weren't exactly treasures but to me they were the most important things I had. I kept my paints, drawing materials, and art I had completed under there, so basically my heart and soul. I handed these wordlessly to Race who took them still holding his silence as Spot was. Out of the open drawer I took my favorite clothes, my plaid pants, a skirt made for me by my mother that was made from beautiful pale blue fabric, and some other essentials I hadn't had the chance to grab the last time I had left. I took one last look at my old room before I walked back out into the hallway. Race and Spot followed and as we had reached the end I saw something glint in the corner of my eye. I looked and gasped. It was mother's necklace, the one she had from her mother that she had worn everyday of her life. It was a simple sterling silver chain, probaly not worth much itself but from it hung a beautiful pendant of a rose with one simple rose quartz stone at the center. The pendant had always been her favorite and it reminded her of her long dead mother. I picked it up, now it was to remind me of mine. I hung it around my neck and clasped it, then placing it under my shirt so it couldn't be seen. I hadn't realized until then that tears were running down my face. "Let's go," I said and together we all walked out the door and down the stairs to the back of the shop.  
  
We emerged back into the light of the alley behind the shop and I decided I wanted to go into the shop.  
  
"Are ye ok?" Race asked me worridly.  
  
"I'll be fine," I said and I stopped crying. "But I wanna go inte de shop. Might as well take some stuff wid us."  
  
I opened up the door that was the entrance to the back storeroom. I could see immediately that we weren't the first to have entered here since I had left. It was in disarray, all the fabrics and merchendise thrown on the floor. I walked across it and entered into the shop area which was in the same condition. I looked around for a minute as Race and Spot, still holding the things I had taken from the apartment, looked around curiously.  
  
"Whudd are ye doin?" Spot asked me as I began to pick up fabrics, my mind already in motion.  
  
"I'm gonna take some fabric te make some cloths," I stated and collected what I intended to take. I then found some bags and put the stuff I had taken from the shop and apartment into them.  
  
"Ok, lets go te find de newsies," I said crushing my uncertainess at not wanting to see them. I was going to and that was it. 


	28. Meeting in Harlem

I remembered the short walk to the ever-familiar distribution center only too well as the three of us walked through the crowded streets. I was nervous but my resolve was solid as we approached the gates, the noise and the newsies I had run from a year before.  
  
Spot, Race and I walked into the middle of it all and as the old faces recognized me the noise quieted considerably.  
  
"Well if it ain't de bastard goil back again. I was beginnin te think ye gone an died," the shout rang out over the silence, I didn't have to look to see who it was, I already knew and had even been expecting it. Knuckles made his way through the silent crowd towards me and his old stare that would have made me back away was on his face though I was not going to back away this time. I could see his eyes land on Spot and Race and recognition dawn in his eyes. Spot and Race saw this as well. Spot grinned, eyes hard, Race just glared a muscle in his cheek pulsing as though he was longing to plant one right in Knuckles's face. I felt the same.  
  
"Whudd de ye wan?" Knuckles said a little more wary now that he knew I wasn't alone.  
  
"It's got nuthin te do wid ye so ye can jus back off," I spat in his face. He wasn't to happy with my new found defiance and he grabbed the front of my shirt and pulled me on my toes. "Ye don talk te me dat way," he snarled at me.  
  
I heard what I guessed was Race attempting to beat the shit out of him as Spot held him back. But I now knew I could handle him myself. I grabbed his hands that were grabbing my shirt pushed one away and twisted the other behind his back painfully. He yelped and I smiled then let him go.  
  
"Not so smart now eh?" I said to him scathingly.  
  
He backed away from me a few paces and I scanned the crowd that had gathered around us for familiar faces. I caught sight of a face I recognized, a boy whose age wasn't known with huge bicepts and threatening eyes. His name was Bull because he had quite a history with the bulls according to the stories told all over.  
  
"Hey Bull," I called to him. "Ye guys got anodda leada 'round hea? I don see Blitz no wheres." Blitz had been the leader of the Harlem newsies when I had been a newsie myself.  
  
"Yea," he said then turned and called over his tall shoulder, "Hey Trixy!" I wondered for a brief moment who Trixy was before Trixy came into view. She was a tall lanky girl with dark blond hair and dark eyes. She eyed me curiously then stuck out a hand.  
  
"Hey, me names Trixy, newfound leada o de Harlem newsies. Who're ye?"  
  
I shook the offered hand and opened my mouth to reply. But before I could Knuckles spoke.  
  
"Dat bitch's Brin," he said to Trixy.  
  
I glared at him daring him to give me an excuse to punch him out.  
  
"Actually," I said taking my eyes off Knuckles and looking back at the girl named Trixy, "I go by Doodles...not Brin."  
  
"Nice te meet ye," she said then turned her own glare at Knuckles. "I think ye should jus shut up now."  
  
"I think I like ye already," I said with a grin.  
  
"Uh who're ye?" Trixy asked Spot and Race. I had forgotten they where there for a second.  
  
"Me names Spot Conlon, leada o de Brooklyn newsies," he said looking a little put out that she didn't know who he was. "Hey ye new in New Yawk?"  
  
"Actually jus new in Harlem, I useta live fartha north. But I have hoid o ye." She replied a little smirk on her face as she took grasp of his overly healthy ego. She then looked over at Race questioningly.  
  
"Me names Racetrack," he told her.  
  
"Ye from Brooklyn too?" she asked him.  
  
"Naw," he said. "My ego's not big enough. I'm from Manhattan."  
  
Trixy laughed and nodded.  
  
"I take it ye used te sell hea?" she then asked me.  
  
I nodded remembering then that a crowd that was avidly listening in surrounded us. When Trixy noticed that I was looking a little wary of the newises around us she said, "Whudd ye all starin at? Don ye got some sellin te do?" This cleared them up as they got into line again to buy their papes.  
  
"So whudd did ye come fer, a visit?" she asked me.  
  
I nodded at Spot to go ahead and explain why we were there. "Well I guess ye haven't hoid 'bout any o de trouble we've been havin wid de Crypts in Manhattan an Brooklyn den," he began and Trixy shook her head. "Te make a long story short," he went on, "De problem starts wid Doodles hea, an pretty much we need some way te get de Crypts te realize dey shouldn't bodda us no mora so we're organizin a rally wid newsies from all ova New Yawk. All de newsies hate de Crypts an we figure dey'd wanna try an get em when de can. Dis is yer, dey're chance," he finished.  
  
"Yea dats de foist reason we're hea," Race then put in eyes hard with anger. "We also wanna kill some newsies by de names of Deuce and Knuckles."  
  
"Why?" Trixy asked him curiously.  
  
"De ye know em?" I asked her, though nobody had answered her question.  
  
"Well I obviously know Knuckles, an yea, I know Deuce too," she replied.  
  
"Right..." Spot said interuppting us. "So de ye think ye wanna help us?"  
  
Trixy thought for a few moments thinking about it but then she nodded. "Sure why not?"  
  
Spot grinned and spat into his hand then held it out for her, she spat in hers and they shook on it.  
  
I had just thought of something though, "But de ye think dat all de newsies who hated me befora will come too?" I asked.  
  
"Why do some o de newsies hate youse?" Trixy wanted to know.  
  
"Well..." I wavered about telling her but then I decided that there was no point in not telling her because she'd just ask some Harlem newsie about it and they would tell her. So I told her the shortened version of my story and when I was finished she looked pretty astonished.  
  
"I can't believe dat dey whudd do dat!" she exclaimed.  
  
"Why are you good friends wid Deuce or sumthin?" I asked her wondering.  
  
"Well...not anymore," she said to me and I knew that I liked her. "We kinda were at de point of goin out..." she said in a lowered voice looking a little sad now. "But now...if he did dat te ye I don want anythin te do wid him," she said this definatly.  
  
"Oh..." I said feeling bad for her. "I'm really sorry."  
  
"Don't worry bout it," Trixy said looking as though she was not showing what she really felt. "I'd rather know now dan lata like ye did."  
  
There was an uncomfortable silence in which the four of us stood around akwardly.  
  
"So when should we go?" she asked us, "to Manhattan for the rally I mean..."  
  
"Well t'day," Spot answered, "or as soon as possible."  
  
"Ok, if ye guys wanna head back ye can," Trixy said. "Cause I've got some stuff te take care of before all of us come te Manhattan. Such as bitchin someone out..." she trailed off grinning.  
  
"Dat sounds good," Race said. "Its been great doin business wid ye."  
  
"Bye, and thanks," she said to all of us as we began to walk away.  
  
"See ya in Manhattan!" I then called to her as me, Spot, and Race headed away from the distriubution center and back to Manhattan. 


	29. Organizing the Rally

We arrived back on the crowded streets of Manhattan when it was just getting dark and we first headed to the Lodging House where I dropped the stuff I had taken from my old apartment and the vacated shop. We then headed off for Tibby's to find Jack, Bailey, and Angel. We entered and saw that the small resteraunt was way more crowded than usual and was filled with many newsies I didn't recognize. We finally spotted Jack, Bailey and Angel at a table in the center of the chaos.  
  
As we fought our way through the assortment of newsies with many of them calling greetings to Spot and Race. Also I could feel many eyes staring at me and if it hadn't been so noisy I was sure there would have been whispers. But then again, I told myself silently, who really gives a _ _ _ _! So I was smiling when Jack looked up and seeing us said, "Hey yer back!"  
  
"Well done, well done, Mista Obvious," Race smirked at him, smacking him on the cheek.  
  
Ignoring him for a change Jack asked us if the Harlem newsies had agreed to join the rally.  
  
"O course we got Harlem," Spot said, "How could we not have, wid me along?"  
  
As much as some things changed Spot never did, I thought wryly. I also knew that I should probaly tell everyone else, as in Angel, Bailey, and Jack, about my life before in Harlem just in case Knuckles or Deuce taged along with Trixy to Manhattan.  
  
"So," I said, " I take it we got most o de odda newsies too?" I indicated the overcrowded resteraunt.  
  
"Not jus some, we got all o dem," Angel said happily.  
  
"Jus goes te show how much we all hate de Crypts," Bailey added with a smile.  
  
"Have ye guys decided how yer gonna do dis rally anyways?" Race asked the three that had stayed in Manhattan.  
  
"Well," Jack began, "We think it'd be easia te bring de newsies te de Crypts radda den tryin te get de Crypts te come te us. I mean foist orda o business is te negotiate, right?" Then without waiting for a response to that he went on. "Den o course if dey won't leave Doodles alone..." He trailed off.  
  
Race, who was glaring at no one in particular said, "I think I'll soak em no matta whudd. Dey don't desoive no negotiation."  
  
Bailey nodded but I shook my head. "We all know dey aren't gonna agree te anythin we want dem te do anyways so I say we jus play wid em den soak em. But dey also might try te trick us, te pretend dat dey agree. I think we jus need te teach em not te mess wid us." I finished and nodded my head to confirm what I had just said.  
  
The agreement was unanimous as everyone nodded at me.  
  
"We have te be careful dough," Angel said. "We don't know fer sure dat dey don't have anything else planned fer Doodles and dey can be tricky. We'll have te watch out fer dem at de rally...all o dem."  
  
I had to agree with what she said. I had not forgotten Razor "Patrick" and all the other tricks that the Crypts had played on us. "When is de rally set fer?" I asked Jack.  
  
"Day afta tommorow," he told me, "I want to make sure that all o de newsies are hea. Dat should give em enough time."  
  
I nodded. "Good, now wats te eat? I'm starving."  
  
Later that night I was back at Medda's in the room she had given to Race and me the previous night. I was thinking about how much I had changed since my mother's murder and my escape to Manhattan. More had happened since that then had happened in my whole life and though Shadow and the Crypts were a worrying thought I was happier than I had ever been before. It was then that I remembered my nightmare from the previous night. I still had no idea what it meant and why I would have dreamed that in particular. Especially so because I hardl y ever remembered my dreams, if I had any, and this dream had been particularily strange. It was then that Race walked into the room.  
  
"Hey whudder ye up te?" he asked me sitting next to me.  
  
"Just thinkin," I replied. "I think I need to tell Bailey, Angel, and Jack about Knuckles and Deuce. They should know...in case they show up wid Trixy."  
  
"No need te worry 'bout dat," Race said with a smile on his face. "She an de Harlem newsies jus got hea an neidda o em came. Ye might wanna go talk te Trixy fer de full details o whudd she did te em," he smiled wistfully," I jus wish I coulda been deyre te take part in it all."  
  
"Really?" I said with a laugh feeling the rest of the burdon of my old hurts come off my chest. I had not been aware but ever sense I had come to Manhattan they had lessoned with my growing friendships. "Lets go," and I bounded off the bed and grabbing Race's hand dragged him behind me.  
  
Trixy was downstairs and surrounded by a good majority of the Manhattan newsies who had come to see Medda's show that night. We could see Mush and Blink, among others, both fighting for her attention. I pushed my way through them, Race stopping to talk to Mush and Blink, to talk to her.  
  
"Hi," she said when she saw me, "I suppose ye wanna hea 'bout Deuce an Knuckles eh?" she grinned.  
  
"Well..." I said thinking it over and then deciding that I didn't really care I asked, "Are day hurting?"  
  
"Oh yea," she said smugly.  
  
"Well den, dats good enough fer me," I laughed and hugged her. "Thanks"  
  
"Yer welcome o course. But dis was fer me too," she said. "Now 'bout dat rally...?" she ended on a question.  
  
"Day afta tommoroa," I told her, "ye'll hea moa 'bout it from Jack I suppose-"  
  
"Whudd 'bout me?" Spot cut in just walking over to us.  
  
"Ah yea," I rolled my eyes. "O course Spot. Geez I'd think dat ye'd be de most self-assured guy in all o New Yawk but hea I am still assurin ye," I teased him.  
  
"Of course he's self-assured," Angel said. She had come up next to Spot. "He just likes te hea about it."  
  
Spot looked as though he was going to deny it then decided against it. Instead he just smiled slyly and winked at us both.  
  
Shaking our heads, me and Angel turned and walked away.  
  
"Fine! Seeya lata!", Spot called after our retreating backs.  
  
Laughing a little, and thinking about how nice it was to laugh I went to find Race, who I had lost while talking to Trixy. I didn't find him however and so I decided to just go up to the roof for awhile. Angel left to talk to some of the other newsies or something, I wasn't really sure. It was almost dark as I walked onto the roof welcoming the cool breeze drifting across the skyline. I sat then decided I'd be more comfortable if I lay down and for the longest time I lay there not thining of much and became so comfortable I didn't even realize that I was drifting asleep... 


	30. Attack in the Dark

I dreamed the dream of the night before, just as vivid, terrible, and I work up scared and hot though the cool breeze was still there, with no Race next to me this time. Trembling I wondered why I was having this what seemed to be a reacurring nightmare. I got up quickly and wondered what time it was. Leaving the roof I felt my way down the unlit hallway and down the stairs to find a welcoming glow of light and the comfort of voices, one I recognized as Race's, engaged in a poker game. I saw the poker players sitting in a circle, Race at the moment collecting the winnings. "C'mon boys dats all ye got? Anyone ready fer annoda round? Yea? Ok, roll me nudda 50."  
  
One of the boys I thought was from the Bronx, looking quite disgruntled, nodded gruffly and deciding not to interrupt them I decided to go and find Bailey and Angel about the nightmare. I didn't see them anywhere around so I decided they must have gone to Tibby's or maybe Medda's where I supposed most of the newsies that were here for the rally were as well.  
  
I walked out onto the dark street not thinking that it was still dangerous to walk around by myself let alone in the dark. Nothing happened however, and I arrived at a packed Tibby's soon enough. I saw them at a table looking tired but laughing at some joke tole by Jack. I pushed through the crowd which was made up all of newsies. I had never seen Tibby's so crowded and it gave me a thrill thinking of the rally.  
  
I pushed through the crowd sneakily so that Angel and Bailey wouldn't see me. I came up behind them very slowly..."Boo!" I shouted grabbing their shoulders as I said it. They both gave out very satisfying screams.  
  
Jack and me were both laughing at them as were a few of the other newsies that were standing around us and had seen them be scared.  
  
"Yea yea, laugh id up," Bailey growled at Jack looking disgruntled. Angel just looked confused, which was normal for her.  
  
"So whudds goin on?" Angel asked looking at me.  
  
"I have te talk te ye an Bai alone lata" I said to her in an undertone. Then out loud I said "Wow dis is great look at all de newsies we got hea. I'm excited already!"  
  
"Yea I can't wait" Bailey added.  
  
After that bit of nothing conversation it kinda died off and Jack got up and kissing Bailey said he was gonna get te know more of the newsies that he didn't know.  
  
"Dats me boy" Bailey said smiling "de social guy."  
  
"So Doodles...whats wrong?" Angel asked me right away.  
  
"Huh?" Bailey asked confused. "Have ye not told me sumthin? Whudds goin on?"  
  
"Calm down already" I told her. "Cmon lets go somewhere quiet..."  
  
We left Tibby's and walked down the dark street. I could tell Angel was feeling apprehensive. And the thought was confirmed a moment later. "Uh guys I don think dis is such a good idea..."  
  
"Why not?" Bailey asked. I guess she had forgotten the danger that I put us all in let alone just the plain old danger of girls walking by themselves at night.  
  
"Err...Bailey...remember Shadow?...the Crypts..." I prompted her. "Its not all dat safe fer us te be out hea on oua own." I wasn't a coward but I knew them now and what they were capable of doing.  
  
"Well c'mon we might as well keep goin since were closa to the lodging house den Tibbys anyways." Bailey pointed out though now even she looked a little worried.  
  
It was very dark in the streets that usually were so familiar. And though we knew our way by heart the look of Manhattan at night was much different than its look during the day. We began to walk faster and faster, speed walking our way to the lodging house. It was only two or so more blocks away and then all of a sudden...I tripped.  
  
All three of us exploded into laughter as I sat on the ground where I had fallen. I wasn't even sure what I had tripped over or why I had tripped. Then as we started to get our breath back I heard something.  
  
"Shhh" I said quickly to Bailey and Angel. They got quiet very fast as I got to my feet.  
  
"Did you hear something?" Angel asked in a whisper.  
  
"I thought I did" I replied not sure. "Cmon les go quick jus in case."  
  
They both nodded and as we turned to set of for the lodging house again Bailey froze.  
  
"Whudd is it?" I hissed to her in a shaky voice.  
  
"I think I can see sumthin...in dat alley..." she indicated a dark alley not too far from where we stood as she trailed off.  
  
I looked at the alley trying to see better in the darkness. It was really hard to tell if there was someone or something there. Then I saw something, just a gleam of light relecting off something metal. Then a split second later the crack of a gun shot, the terrible sound that I hadn't heard since the shot that killed my mother. The nest thing I knew Bailey fell to the ground and I heard screaming. The screaming was me and Angel. When we finally realized that it was us screaming we stopped knowing we didn't have time for that. I dropped to my knees as another shot went off. 


	31. Another Escape from Shadow

"Bailey! Bailey are you shot?" I asked pleadingly, praying she wasn't though her eyes were closed and she looked pale.

She opened her eyes "No…" she sounded in pain though. "I think id grazed me leg or sumthin."

"Can ye walk?" I asked urgently as a shot barely missed me, I could feel the whoosh of air go past my arm. Angel was now down next to me.

"Oh god, oh god" She was saying "I've gotta get help."

I was just hoping maybe somebody had heard the shots and our screams.

Suddenly I heard a too familiar voice. "One down, two to go." Who else was it but Shadow. "I've got some mora ammo fer dis useful gun hea," he chuckled "I rememba de las time I used dis…" he indicated the gun by turning it to catch the gleam on the side. He walked closer the the three of us huddled on the ground.

I held Bailey's hand as she bit her lip to keep from letting out any noise. I saw in the next to no light that though the bullet had only grazed her leg, her shin was bleeding pretty heavily.

I saw Shadow had moved even closer to us, about ten feet away.

"Now I've caught ye all alone. Its been tough wid all dese damn kids round hea…Poa defenseless goils. Eh, to bad fer ye, none a ye little boys te protect ye. Yer all alone now." He chuckled.

"Poa, defenseless goils my ass!" Bailey said through gritted teeth.

I thought I saw something moving quickly in the dark behind Shadow but before I could distinguish what it was the something tackled Shadow and they both went tumbling forward. Another shot rang out and Angel let out a scream. I got quickly to my feet trying to figure out what had just happened. I looked towards the ground where Shadow was fighting someone. It was Jack. I could tell only because his hat had fallen from its customary spot hanging around its neck. I crouched next to Bailey who looked like she might pass out.

"Bai, can you get up?" I asked her quickly. I didn't know what else to do but get away. Jack was behind me still grappling with Shadow.

"If ye help me…I think I can." She answered me and sat up slowly.

"C'mon Ang help me" I said to Angel who immediately took one of Bailey's arms as I the other. We lifted her up and she stood as well as she could on one foot. I could then see how much her leg had bled onto the ground.

"Shit!" I said wondering why the hell I hadn't bandaged it sooner.

"Jack!" Bailey had just realized who our rescuer was.

I looked at them both of them didn't look too good.

"What should I do?" I thought to myself. I didn't want to leave Jack all by himself with Shadow but Bailey needed to be fixed up so she didn't loose too much blood.

I then heard the sound of horses approaching at a gallop.

"Ids de bulls!" Angel said. "We gotta get outa hea, dey'll wanna know whudds goin on."

"I knew someone had te hea all dose shots." I said.

"Jack!" Bailey shouted again, "ids de bulls we gotta get outta hea!"

Jack had obviously heard her and gave Shadow a good punch right in the nose then sprang to his feet and coming to us. "Lets go!" he said and so we all turned and Jack picked Bailey up and we all started away at a quickly.

"He'll get ye! Its comin soon!" came a shout from behind us. It was Razor who I hadn't seen since he had helped me be kidnapped.

I was about to shout back wanting to tell him to go stick his head up his ing hole, but Jack stopped me. "Cmon deyres not time fer dat now." I nodded and we ran back to the lodging house.

We got into the relieving warm light of the lodging house entrance. I saw tears staining Bailey's cheeks. She tried to wipe them away but still she was biting her lip in pain.

Race looked up when we came inside and seeing us breathless at the door with Jack holding Bailey with her bleeding leg and Jack looking a little banged up himself he ran to us. "Whudd de hell happened?" he exclaimed.

"Shadow" I managed to get out through the gasping of my breath. Race held me up by putting his arm underneath mine.

"WHUDD!" he exploded. "Are ye all ok? Bailey! Whudd happened?" he asked quickly seeing Baileys bleeding leg.

"Doodles can explain" Jack said panting. "I gotta get her leg cleaned up." And Jack went to take care of Bailey.

Angel had sunk to the floor gasping for breath too and leaned against the wall.

"Ye ok?" I panted to Angel and she nodded though still looking a little shocked by what had just happened.

"I'm fine" she said, "just a little winded."

And that was when Spot banged into the lodging house.

"Whudd de hell is goin on? Where's Angel?"

"Umm…Spot…I'm down hea." Angel said looking up at him.

Spot almost jumped and looked down. He pretended like he wasn't embarrassed at his not seeing her right next to him and went on. "Whudds goin on? I heard shots all de way from Tibby's and I knew Jack had decided to follow ye goils back te de lodgin house den I heard shots and by de time I got dere de bulls had come an gone."

Angel stuck out her hand to him and he pulled her up. "Well go ahead Doodles" she said to me, why she was having me explain, I didn't know and decieded it didn't matter either way.

"So we were walkin hea…" I began and I told them how Shadow had came out at us from an alley and he had a gun (I convieniently left out the part of me tripping a falling right before that). How he shot at us and hit Bailey and what he said.

"That's when Jack tackled im" Angel said helping me out. Then she said how they fought while we tried to figure out what the hell to do. "an den we hoird de Bulls comin so we ran fer it."

"Razor showed up at de end too." I said and I felt Race's arms tense at the sound of his name.

"Whudd was he doin hea?" he said.

"He's one a Shadow's goons dats all." Spot said with contempt. "Dey've prolly hoid rumors bout de rally…" he trailed off.

"Whudd de ye mean…?" Angel asked "wouldn't dey wanna stay far away from dis rally as possible? If dey came to it deyre defiantly gonna get inte a fight with someone."

"Yea dat'd be me." Race said his hands balled into fists.

"Ang," Spot said kissing her. "Ye know dats prolly gonna be de end of dis."

"Whudds gonna be de end of whudd?" Angel asked.

I was pretty sure I knew what he was talking about, there was gonna be a fight at the rally. And not just any fight but it would probably end up being a full out rumble type of fight.

"We've gotta fight te end dis whole thing fer Doodles…and fer us." Spot said, full of determination.

"Dis is all me fault." I said not meeting any of their eyes. "if I hadn't eva come hea den none of ye whudd be put in dis position an none a dese odda newsies eidda. If anyone gets hoit at de rally I don know how I'd fergive meself."

"Yer wrong." Spot contradicted me. "Ids not as if all dese newsies whuddent a come jus fer ye. But dey're alsa gonna be fighten fer demselves."

"Ye've gotta undastand whudd he's sayin." Race said, "cause he's right…fer once." He said the last part and slapped Spot's Cheek.

"Ye watch yerself," Spot said pretending to be angry. "Ona dese days yer gonna find yerself in a spot ye can't fight yerself outta…" he paused… "Like Dis!" and he grabbed Race into a headlock.

Me and Angel laughed at them as they grappled with each other neither really caught or free.

"Well I'm tired." I said "I'm goin te bed now. Race ye can come when yer not so busy."

Angel laughed, "Yea I'm goin too. Enough guns and runnin an weirdness for one night fer me!"

We began walking up the stairs and had reached the second floor landing when she stopped me.

"Wait a second…" she said with a thoughtful look in her eye. "Didn't ye wanna tell me an Bailey sumthin? Wasn't dat why ye came te Tibby's in de foist place?" then all of a sudden she hit me upside the head. "Ye dumbass! Ye walked te Tibby's in de dark all by yerself! Ids a good thing Shadow didn't catch up wid ye den!"

I didn't know whether to laugh at her or look ashamed at my stupidity which I hadn't realized until just then. "Wow Ang…you sound like my mom! I'm jus lucky I guess." I told her with a grin.

She rolled her eyes, "I worry bout ye ye know? Someones gotta be yer mom sometimes." She smiled and shook her head at me. "If we don watch ye close ye could get yerself inte some trouble."

"Yea…dats why I'm lucky te have ye guys!" I laughed.

"Oh yea!"Angel said suddenly. "Whudd was it ye were gonna tell us?"

I thought about the dream. It probably wasn't odd that I'd had the dream, nightmare, twice in a row. It probably was nothing and I didn't feel like making a whole lot of worry out of a whole lot of nothing. I told myself that I'd just see if it continued. I felt a shiver go down my spine when I thought of it though.

"Uhh…id was nuthin." I told her. "jus nuthin…"

Right then there was a sound like two elephants charging up the stairs. It wasn't. I was however, Race and Spot. They ran towards us and Race picked me up, throwing me over his shoulders and Spot did the same to Angel. Me and Angel were both laughing hysterically, my dream, though Angel didn't know it was a dream, forgotten.

"Now dat we have oua goils whudd should we do wid dem?" Race asked Spot in his most serious but-I'm-really-joking voice.

"Lets take dem te bed an have oua way wid dem!" Spot said back in a very enthusiastic tone.

"Horny little ones ain't ye?" I said still laughing as all the blood had rushed to my head.

Spot and Race looked at each other shrugged their shoulders and said "Yep" at the same exact time.

"Classic," I said still laughing my ass off.

"Off te bed den!" Angel shouted.

"Dats me goil!" Spot said.

"Night den ye two." I called to them as they went to a door a little ways down the hall. "Don have too much fun!"

Race, with me still slung over his shoulder, pushed open the door to our room and shut the door behind us.

He then threw me onto the bed and started kissing me. We paused and came up for air after a few minutes.

"Dea me, I'm de luckiest guy in de woild." He whispered in my ear. I smiled, "An I'm de luckiest goil."


	32. The Dream but Different

I dreamed the dream again that night. Just as vivid, just the same as the two times before. Up until the end, the end was different. It was the same fear in the dream, the unknown feeling of walking into that house, seeing the broken furniture, the blood dripped onto the floor. As I walked down the hallway again I felt with the anticipation of almost knowing what was there, what was about to happen. But of course I didn't, the dream didn't remember the reality that I had been here before. I almost prepared myself in the subconscious as I put one foot over the threshold of the restroom my mind didn't want to wander there again...but I felt something on my arm and I jolted.  
  
I turned and I saw the boy that I had seen everytime in the dream but only from the back before. He looked strangely familiar, and about 13 years old, not yet in his teens. He panted and I knew it was from his run...but why had he returned? He seemed so desperate to get away, running as though away from the fire of hell, that burned in that house.  
  
"Why did you come back?" I asked him. His only reply was to pull on my arm and lead me down the hall, out the door and into the quiet now settled silence of night. "Whats going on?" I asked him hoping for an answer. I was anxious to know.  
  
He turned to me and I recognized the face of one I loved as the young face of the boy seemed to grow into Race's face, as though it grew up at least 5 years in just seconds.  
  
"Race?" I half exclaimed and half asked as my mouth stayed open in a gape.  
  
He took his hand and closed my mouth for me then kept his hand over my mouth as though hinting at me not to speek. "You need not dig any farther," he said in a voice I didn't know, that wasn't his real new york accent that I knew to be his. "This path is ended...you've paved a new one for both of us. HE will be gone soon as it is seen. But beware for the path is yet still treacherous and will not be foretold correctly always." And he stopped and it seemed that he slowly faded away...till there was nothing.  
  
I woke up in a daze and recalled the dream immediately. "What could it mean?" I said aloud to myself in the half light. Who was HE? And what does that mean a new path? That's treacherous? Then I laughed at myself it was a dream, they're not supposed to make sense and be normal. Weird though...how it changed after having the same one for days. And Race had been in it this time...or was it him all along..?.  
  
Race sat up beside me and I started. I had almost forgotten where I was and didn't even think about that when I had woke from the dream.  
  
"Whudds up?" he asked me sleepily and touched my arm.  
  
"Dat dream again..." I said trailing off.  
  
"De one from de odda day?" he asked and when I nodded he put his arms around me.  
  
"Id was different though..." I said thinking about Race's face in my dream on the familiar looking younger boy.  
  
"How was id different?" he asked comfortingly.  
  
I shook my head not wanting to have to think about what the dream could mean and why I had it and why Race was in it along with a million other things. "Id was just weird, like de kinda weird dat only dreams can be." He nodded understanding and I continuted "id doesn't matta...Today's the rally!" I exclaimed suddenly, very random.  
  
"Dea me id is!" he said sarcastically at me.  
  
"Hey watcherself mista, don be makin fun of me!"  
  
"Or whudd? Ye'll soak me?" he asked with a mocking face.  
  
"Yer damn right I will!" I said pulling out of his arms to look at him, trying to keep my face serious.  
  
"Whudd do ye think de odds of you winnin'll be? Betcha deyre pretty slim." I glared at him indignantly and he went on. "Wanna bet de next meal on ye winnin?" he said in his gambling voice.  
  
"I won' bet ye." I said holding back a laugh.  
  
"Dats because yer scared right?" he said egging me on.  
  
I snorted in indignation, "Scared?!...You wish!? And I tackled him.  
  
We grappled on the bed both trying to get the upper hand. A minute later we ended up with him on top pinning me to the bed.  
  
"Damn you!" I gasped and laughed at the same time.  
  
He was laughing and out of breath as well. "See? Good odds." He grinned down at me. "An now dat I've got ye whea I wan ye..." he leaned down and with me not being able to move (not that I would want to anyways) he kissed me.  
  
When we stopped I said "Alright mista, off I gotta get dressed an ready fer sellin and den de rally." 


	33. Preperation for the Night to Come

The Manhattan papers were sold by the dozens that day as all the Newsies from the surrounding towns went to work alongside the regulars. When I had briefly seen Trixy during the morning rush she along with other newsies she was with decided to sell to have some money for the night to come. I assumed that most of the other newsies had decided the same thing and it was a good idea, it was going to be a memorable night.

I finished selling with Race as quick as we could considering all the competition of the other newsies. We split up after that, him going to meet Jack, Spot, and the Newsies in for the Rally at Tibby's for lunch. I went off the meet Bailey and Angel at Medda's to see that everything was in good order for the Rally.

I entered Medda's at the side door, stepping into shade and quiet from the crowded and noisy street outside. I could hear faint voices coming from upstairs so I headed up. There was a hallway that I had only been in once before, the day we had come back from Christina's actually. The room we had talked in that day was the first door to my left and it was dark. A few doorways down however, I saw a light and so I walked to the door way, peeking my head inside.

"Hey Doodles!" came Angel's voice, though I couldn't see her.

From the looks of it the room was used as a storage or dressing room because when I walked inside I saw a vast array of costumes, some I had seem worn on the stage before and many more of every design and color imaginable on racks along with accessories and shoes. I spotted Bailey scrutinizing some dresses on a rack and Angel popped out from behind another.

"Hey guys what're ye doin?" I asked them.

"Hey Doodles," Bailey said turning to look at me. "Me an Ang came up wid an idea te wow all de guys tonight." She said this all with a sly smile.

"Oh?" I said curiously raising my eyebrows at her. "What might that be?" though I was kind of getting an idea already.

"Welllll…we thought id might really surprise em, in a good way," Angel winked at me as she said it, "if we all showed up in fancy dresses tonight." Her eyes sparkled as she giggled at the idea of their faces when they saw us.

"Haha…us in dresses," I laughed, "Good one, an were are we gonna get dese dresses from?" I asked sarcastically.

"DUH! Look around dummy!" Angel exclaimed at me.

Bailey and I burst out laughing at how gullible she was. I shook my head then thought about what Race, Spot, and Jack would do when they saw us later that night.

"Guys," I said, "Lets get beautiful."

This afternoon was one of my most favorite I could ever remember. This was what I had always wanted, real girl friends who understood me and loved me for who I am. Just talking and goofing around was the best thing ever. I sighed and watched as Bailey and Angel were fighting over what make-up they were going to use, could it get any better than this? Then I smiled to myself and thought about Race, things with us were so good, better then I ever could have imagined. The only thing that would improve anything was if the rally would help and not be a mess if the Crypts showed up. I was worried that…no I didn't want to think about anything else bad happening to the people I had come to care about so much. I rubbed at my stomach as though by doing that I could undo the huge knot of apprehension that was stuck there. I guess there was nothing to be done except go ahead with the plans and have fun while we at it.

"Doodles did ye pick out whudd yer wearin?" came Angel's voice, impatient with excitement.

"Yea, ids over dere," I replied, shook from my thoughts.

"Well ye might wanna start gettin ready," Bailey said with an annoyed tone to her voice, "dese stockings are a lot harder te put on den I thought!"

Angel and I laughed at her as she wrestled with the stockings and I picked up my own to begin getting ready for the quickly approaching evening.

It was the first time in a long time that I really felt like a girl. After an afternoon of primping, cleaning, and pampering we looked pretty damn good if I did say so myself. For myself I picked out a jade green dress, one of my favorite colors because it set off my eyes, Angel picked a light blue that fit her perfectly, and Bailey a fiery red which was sure to make Jack's eyes fall out of his head. Medda had joined in the fun with us and had her hairdressers do our hair to go with the dresses. Smoothing my dress I walked to the window looking out at the setting sun and the busy street below. It was crowed with newsies undoubtedly eager for the rally. I could hear faint noises of the gathering crowd entering downstairs, and making there way into Irving Hall. The anticipation of it all, being dressed up, and just the excitement of it all was making me jittery.

"Look im shakin an we're not even on stage yet," I showed Bailey and Angel my hand which was trembling.

Bailey patted my back, "don' worry Doodles, ids gonna go great. All we really need from dis rally is a bit'a unity between all de newsies, bring up old ties jus like durin de strike. Wid de best entertainment in all a New Yawk on oua side, how could we go wrong?" Medda had just entered the room as Bailey said that and she turned her head and smiled at Bailey.

"Oh such a complitment," she said jokingly to Bialey, "You three are a sight," she smiled, "I can't imagine vhat de boys will do when dey see you like this," she winked as she walked towards the mirror putting the finishing touches on herself. She was beautiful as always in the deep purple gown her curly red hair, piled up on her head.

"I bet id's gonna be about de same as when dey see ye like dat, "Angel exclaimed gesturing at Medda, "De Swedish Meadowlark at her finest!" Bailey and I nodded in agreement.

"Jack always did have a soft spot fer ye Medda, "Bailey said grudgingly, "but yer de only one I let slide." I laughed; I had no doubt in my mind Bailey kept her man in check.

"I'm honored, "Medda said to Bailey with a wink. Deeming herself perfect she turned away from the mirror and towards us, "the crowd is gathering qvickly downstairs, is there anything you need taken care of before ve begin the show?"

"Well make sura everyone has drinks an everything dey need…" I trailed off racking my brains for any forgotten details, "other den dat we're pretty much set I suppose! Well Jack, Race, Spot, and de three of us will be comin to introduce ye of course and explain a little bit why were holdin de rally. But we'll of course be comin from back stage te surprise de guys an dey'll be in de crowd already." I rubbed my hands together with the anticipation of it all, "dis is gonna be soo good!"

"De we have de security set?" Bailey asked Medda. We had found some men that worked for Medda to stand at the entrances just to make sure that everything was secure during the rally, we didn't want any trouble from the bulls...or the Crypts.

"Yes theyre already at their posts." Medda replied, "I guess its all set then! I'm going to go downstairs and make sura everything is going smoothly. Ill tell de boys dat you'll be coming from de back when you're ready. Good luck!" she swooped in and gave us all a hug. "Dis is a big night for you," she said to me, I hope it gets you vhat you vant."

"Thanks fer everythin Medda, "I said, "Id really means a lot te me."

"Don't even think about it! Just focus on putting on a good show, that's what I think about when I have pre-show jitters," she smiled at us, "see you downstairs in a bit." She turned and walked back out the door.

The three of us were quiet and we looked at each other not really knowing what to say. I grabbed both of their hands and squeezed them. "Ye guys are de best ye know dat?" I grinned at them, "thank ye so much…I hope dat it will make Shadow get id dat I'm not alone like I was before, an its not even worth de time or effort: goin after me. Im kinda worried dat in de planning of de rally we had lost track a whudd oua goal is, of gettin Shadow te go away…" I trailed off.

"Well think of id on de bright side, even if id doesn't, we'll still have a night te remember!" Angel said cheerfully. "Don worry Doodles, wea always hea fer ye even when ye think ye don desoive it."

"Which ye do," Bailey chimed in. "Ye kno dat if one a us was in yer situation den ye'd do de same fer us, helpin anyway ye could. Dats jus how id is when yer friend needs ye."

Getting misty eyed as I tended to do quite frequently lately, I hugged them both. "Are ye ready?"

"Leds jus go an have some fun tenite, ok?" Bailey added.

"Yea and blow de guys away completely at the sight of us," Angel said and we all laughed, lightening the mood, for which I was glad.

Hand in hand we walked out the door and down the stairs all nervous anticipation for appearing dressed to the nines in front of the whole of New York's newsies. It would be a night to remember.


	34. The Rally

As Angel, Bailey, and I made our way down the darkened staircase the noise of the gathered newsies became ten times louder than it had been upstairs. We avoided the crowd lined up to enter the doors to be seated and went around back through a dim hallway then to the back of the stage. Medda was there waiting with her dancers chatting with them.

"Jus tell us vhen you're ready to go," She said cheerfully, "And ve'll pull the curtains for you."

I nodded to her, "I just want to take a look out before we start." I wanted to know what it was going to look like before I just got one big shock when the curtain opened.

I wound my way through ropes used to operate the heavy red curtains at the side of the stage, Angel and Bailey following, which were currently closed to the crowd outside them. I opened the curtain slightly and peered out at the enormous, noisy crowd. My eyes widened when the enormity of the whole event hit me. There were rows and rows of newsies, sitting and standing up, yelling and talking with one another. Some I recognized and many I had never seen in my life, but all dressed in their finest even though often that didn't mean much more than a clean shirt. My heart began to pound and I was frightened by the mere thought of stepping out in front of them let alone talking in front of them all.

"Oh my god…Whudd am I gonna say? Why are we doin dis again? Why are dere so many people hea?" On the verge of a panic attack I was completely freaking out, I guess I had a little bit of stage fright. "I don kno why dis was really necessary, Shadow jus will come afta me anyways an dis will jus be a waste of time, oh ive wasted everyone's time! Yers an Meddas an all de guys an everyone we sent all ova New Yawk. De Crypts won care, oh whudds de use! I cant go out deyre!"

Bailey grabbed my shoulders and shook me. "BREATH!" she half yelled at me. "Don ye even let me hea youse talkin like dat again alright! Dis isn't a waste a time, we did it jus because dere is always a chance it'll help de situation wid Shadow and de Crypts but really if id doesn't we'll think a sumthin else. Don even think about id all, an go out deyre an say whudd ya need te say, as if ye were talkin to us or de guys. Focus on Race an ferget about de crowd, ye'll do great! Ids supposed te be a fun night, so jus go out deyre and have some fun! Rememba me and Ang are out deyre whidd ya too, you won do all de talking."

I took a deep breath and let it whoosh out. "Ok, ok, ok, Im ok." I said trying to convince myself of that. "Dis rally's a good thing, showin de newsies of New Yawk a good time, a little vacation an mebe showin de Crypts dat wea still a force te be reckoned wid! I'm jus gonna keep telling myself dat…and everythin will be fine, it'll be great!"

"Dats mora like it," Angel agreed, "Lets show em all dat we can do dis and whuddever else we put oua minds te! We'a not jus girls an wea not jus newsies!"

"Haha an just think, no one will care if we don have a clue whudd were sayin when we look so damn hot!" Bailey exclaimed, laughing. "Cmon lets do dis."

After saying that, she grabbed our wrists pulling me and Angel towards the center of the stage. The three of us were a little more pumped up and calmed down and still laughing, which was always a good sign. Bailey called to Medda, "Wea ready!" and as Medda nodded at us the curtains pulled apart exposing us to the massive crowd of newsies awaiting us.

As the hordes got sight of us there was a definite difference in the noise and an increase in volume if that was possible. The chattering of voices turned in to cheers, whistles, and cat calls as we walked to the center of the stage all three of us grinning. Me, standing flanked by Bailey and Angel on each side, felt like king, or queen I suppose, of the world. I laughed and looked into the crowd scanning for Race and the other guys wanting to see their reactions; we defiantly had changed a little from earlier in the day. My eyes were drawn to his in a second and I couldn't hold back my laughter at the dumbstruck expression on his face. I blew him a kiss and a wink as I motioned for him to come up to the stage. Race got up and grabbed Jack and Spot's sleeves, they had been sitting next to him and they also had the same sort of expressions on their faces, their eyes on Bailey and Angel. Getting up fast Jack almost knocked over their table but luckily it was caught by Blink who was behind it and laughing at all three of the guy's lack of coordination as Spot tripped on a step coming up to the stage.

"Dis is great! Did ya see deyre faces?" Angel was giggling hard.

"Dey could hardly keep deir tounges from fallin out of dere mouths!" Bailey said with a big grin.

They reached us in the middle of the stage and to the further delight of the crowd all three of them grabbed us and kissed us passionately hard.

Calls from the crowd, mainly from the Manhattan or Brooklyn newsies rang out "Dats our Spot!", "WHOOO Cowboy!", "How come Race gets de goil over me?" The last comment I could defiantly tell came from Blink, he was always complaining about goils.

"Jesus! Are ye tryin te kill me?" Race said into my ear as I laughed.

I batted my eyes innocently at him, "Would_ I_ ever try te kill ye? Dis aint tryin, but imagine if I did try," and I winked at him, "Ye wouldn't kno whudd hit ya."

"Dats already how id it so I guess I betta not do anythin te piss ye off, ye'd really do me in den." Race kissed me again, "Ye're beautiful."

"Thanks, id betta be worth it, we spent all afternoon up dere."

"Dea me, its defiantly worth it." He said looking me up and down.

Bailey tapped me on the shoulder, "Hmm I think we have a rally to attend perhaps?" she was joking but I noticed the crowd had quieted a little and were focused on us.

"Haha…right!" I said blushing a bit.

We stood now, the six of us, as the close knit group of friends we had become and it just felt right. I looked at them all and realized they had become my family and they always would be. They gave me the courage I had always been lacking before I knew them, the courage to truly be myself.

Jack the leader that he was so used to being stepped forward and quieted the crowd. "Did ye get a load of oua goils?" he yelled and the crowd cheered again.

Bailey rolled her eyes at him and exchanged looks with me and Angel even though she did look pleased. Jack went on after a roughish grin and wink at Bailey.

"Tenite we've brought ye all hea from all ova New Yawk te celebrate bein Newsies!" Hmm, not a bad start I thought to myself secretly thankful that the guys had come up on stage with us so they could do most of the talking. "A lot of ye might be a little unsura why ye're really hea so we'll explain it to ye. Dis hea is oua friend Doodles," he put his hand out towards me and I stared defiantly out into the crowd waiting for the story to be told. "She came te us when she got inte some trouble wid de Crypts, none of it bein her fault of course, we all know de bad rep of de Crypts, don we boys?" he looked towards Spot and Race and they both sent nods of agreement in his direction, while there were shouts of anger and concurrence from the crowd. Spot stepped up and took over.

"She came te us fer help because she hasn't got anyone else an we, bein de good souls dat we are, have got her back. One Crypt in particular has seemed te take de lead in de chase fer Doodles, he has already caused her too much pain and agony, goes by de name of Shadow. We as de leadas of de Brooklyn an Manhattan newsies thought id be best te take things inte oua own hands, de newsies hands. We need te stop de Crypts while wea ahead, befora dey get any big ideas dat dey can take us all out. Dis has gone to far, deyve stepped ova de line an messed wid one'a ouas!" the crowd was cheering for Spot, they were shouting out their agreement and support for the idea.

"Deyve gone too far!" bellowed one Newsie in the section from Queens.

"Dey cant keep violatin us hard woikin fella's fer no good reason!" shouted another from Harlem.

"An hard woikin goils!" Trixy hollered shooting a grin at me, Bailey and Angel.

Race now took over, stepping up next to Jack and Spot, "So we decided te organize dis hea rally, fer all yer enjoyment an mebe strike a little fear inte Shadow an de Crypts black hearts. We are a force te be reckoned wid!" he paused and let the crowd indulge in tumultuous applause and cheers. "Besides," he called out, "No one messes wid my goil an gets away wid it!"

Everyone laughed and looking at Race I found my voice again. "Thank ye everyone who's come, whether it was fer de fun, fer de unity of de newsies, or fer all a us," I gestured at the six of us on stage and then out at the crowd of newsies that I had come to know and be friends with, "it really does make all de difference."

"Damn it betta, I put on a dress fer dis!" Bailey swore as she stepped up next to me. That got everyone in the crowd hooting and hollering at us again and I laughed.

Angel now stepped up to the plate, "So now fer yer entertainment tenite we've got the most beautiful, melodious, angel you have even seen grace de stage…Medda, the Svedish Meadowlark!" there were more cheers from the crowd.

"An mebe later on, if he gets enough drinks in him, Race on his harmonica!" I shouted laughing as he pinched me in the side, "Enjoy the show!"

Medda stepped out onto the stage and the music began. As all six of us walked off the stage I felt the enormous applause reverberate around the hall and it felt pretty damn good.


	35. The Guys Take Care of Things

I was grinning as I turned to face the five of them as we stepped into the dark hallway from off of the stage. "We did id! De rally! I can't believe ids really happenin!" I bounded forwards and hugged Angel as she was the closest to me, then I continued on and gave everyone else hugs too. "Ye all did all so great! Thank ye so much fer doin dis, ids so great of ye guys te do dis!" I laughed because I was kind of at a loss for words because of my adrenaline and excitement from the stage and the crowd. I grabbed Race and placed a smacking kiss on his lips.

"Hell id do dis every day a de week if de odds wera a kiss from you!" Race said chuckling.

I laughed and smiled at him, "Well I know, but id does take quite a bit of organizing an planning te get all de newsies gathered like dis, but ye guys just went ahead an did it wid not anodda thought about de woik involved."

"Hey wera newsies, we do woik fer a livin! At least all a dis is fun woik an fer a good cause" Angel said.

"Yea don even think anythin of id Doodles, we'da done de same fer any of oua friends, besides we all need a little break an fun from de woik day now an den." Jack said with a smile, "Ids defiantly been awhile since we've done something like dis, dose were de days..." and he faded out thinking about the rally for the newsie strike.

"Yea since ye were wid _Sarah_," Bailey said and snorted.

Jack shot her a disgusted look, "Alright, alright, maybe dose weren't de days..." and we laughed at Bailey's satisfied nod and smile.

"Well me? I'm fully appreciatin de dress code fer de night," Spot commented not trying to hide the fact he was giving Angel the once over and whistled. He flashed his famous cocky grin, "We done good boys."

"Hea hea!" agreed Race and Jack heartily.

"I still cant believe how ye guys look," Race said, "I mean cmon we thought ye were hot when ye all wera dirty, sweaty, smelly, an wearin oua cloths!" Jack and Spot laughed as all three of us girls hit Race.

"Smelly eh Race?" Bailey said indignantly, "Yer not exactly a bucket o roses yerself!"

Still laughing at us he went on, "Now yer clean, ye smell…ehh alright, an are defiantly not wearin _oua_ cloths!"

"Yea an I defiantly would say dats a damn good thing," Jack said eyeing Bailey's dress, "Dey defiantly look a lot betta on youse!"

"I dunno Jacky-boy," Race said in a conspiratorial manner nudging him in the side, "Spot might not look half bad…"

"Hey!" Spot exclaimed realizing what he just said, "I'll soak ye ye lousy bum!" and jumped on Race playfully.

Laughing Angel pulled him off, "Ye might not wanna mess up yer nice clean cloths dere."

"Or we might hav'ta dress ye up in one a dese!" I finished for her indicating my dress.

"Alright, alright, dats enough jokin at my expense," Spot said holding his hands up in defeat and chuckling. "Wea missin de show while wea standin hea an discussin my excellent physique!"

We all snorted and I said, "Shall we go watch de show den?"

"We shall!" said Race, mocking me and a very bad hoity-toity English accent. He took my hand, kissed it as I giggled, and began to lead me to the doorway.

As all six of us made out way down the dimly lit hall I didn't think much could spoil my feeling of happiness that the rally was underway and it had begun smoothly, without me doing anything stupid. I still could hardly fathom and was amazed by it still, the bond that I had made with these five people in the short time that I had known them all. Indulging in my romantic side, which I tended to do a lot, I thought to myself _"I suppose it just must be fate that all these things happened and maybe mom's death was just leading me on to better things. I feel so connected with them all, they are the closest friends I have ever had and my first love." _I looked over at Race. I knew at that moment that I could never ask for or ever want anything more than I had right then. "_I could stay with them all for the rest of my life and_ _for happily ever after,"_ I thought, _"Race is my happily ever after." _

We had just reached the entrance to the hall and before we entered in through the doors Spot stopped Race and Jack.

"Ye goils go on ahead I need a woid wid me boys," he winked at us, "save us seats?"

"Sure," Angel said, "don be too long, you'll miss id!" And the three of us, still in a celebratory mood, didn't question them on what that was all about. We passed through the doors into the crowd, leaving the three of them alone.

"Whudds dis about Spot?" Race asked him curiously.

"Well I thought mebe it'd be a good idea if we checked te see if any of de Crypts have been lurkin around, ye know ask Medda's guards an all." Jus te be sura. I don wan anythin goin wrong wid dis."

"Good thinking Spot," Jack said seriously, "I dunno, I'm still worried dat deyre gonna try something, its betta te be on oua guard."

Race nodded at him, "Yea betta not te tell the goils anythin yet until somethin serious goes down. Dey'll jus worry."

At that all us girls would have been indignant, but of course as guys they always think they can handle everything.

Race led the way to the front entrance where he knew that there should be at least two guards there. It was the least likely place that the Crypts would try to get in from, if they did try, because it was right on a busy street. When they reached the door Jack cautiously pushed it open and they walked outside. It was all dark now and there were just street lamps and the lights of Irving Hall to illuminate the street. There were still people, carts and horses milling through the road as usual. They walked out and saw the two men that Medda had set up there leaning against the wall on either side of the double doors.

"Everythin goin alright out hea? Any sign of em?" Jack asked the men.

"Nope, everythins been goin smooth out hea." The man on the right nodded at them.

After a nod to the men they went back inside and began to make their way to the back entrance into the hall which was behind the stage.

As they went Race noticed that they were being silent and around them hung a curtain of apprehension. This would be the time for the Crypts to try something big and they all knew it. If there was going to be a fight it was going to happen here while they were all gathered together. He really hoped that nothing would happen and everything would go as they wanted but somehow he really doubted that they would get that lucky.

The back way was almost completely dark as they approached the door that led into the ally behind the building. They could slightly hear the noise of the crowd and the music that came from the stage behind them. Just as Spot reached for the handle of the door there was a rustling and a noise behind them. The three of them jumped and turned fast on the spot and saw…nothing.

Looking around frantically, heart beating Jack saw it, "Aw damnit, look id was jus a mouse!" They looked and they saw the fleeting tail of a mouse running into a hole in the wall and all felt slightly dumb at their moment of fright.

"Hahaha, youse shoulda seen de look on yer faces!" Race hooted with laughter. "Ids a good thing dat de oddas didn't see de big, tough leadas of de Brooklyn and Manhattan newsies scared by a widdle mouse."

"Aww shuddup Racetrack, ye didnt look any less pathetic den we did jus den," Spot said abashedly.

Race shrugged, "Mebe, but do we really expect any a de Crypts te actually be lurkin in de corner? Dey wouldn't a been able te get in durin de day, someone woulda seen em."

"Yea, hopefully not, but id cant hurt te check, now can it?" Jack said and Race nodded at him, serious again.

"Ye can neva tell wid dese bastards…" Race then spoke on something that had been bothering him. "Why de ye think Shadow's still goin afta Doodles? I don eva rememba de Crypts eva continuin goin afta anyone like dis, she told us she neva knew a dem befora de night when her mudda was killed."

"I was wonderin de same thing," Jack agreed with him, "Ids a little strange de lengths deyre goin te get te her, id doesn't make any sense."

"Id could be dat dey don't got anything betta te do…or dere could be anodda reason," Spot said reasonably.

"Yea, but whudd reason would dat be? Ids gotta be a bigga reason den him jus murderin her mudda, Doodles wouldnta gone te de bulls about id anyhow. Murders on de poor woikin class hardly eva get solved or looked inte if deyre jus random burglers or thugs." Race said thinking, "Deyres gotta be some reasonin behind Shadow's motives."

"Yea but wea not gonna figure it out just by standin around back hea, we might as well check te make sura deres no trouble den get back te de rally." Jack said.

"I agree! Whudd fun would dis all be if we missed de whole show?" Spot said.

"Yea lets get on wid it," Race agreed putting the problem of Shadow's motives in the back of his mind.

Spot pushed open the door that they were standing in front of and peered out into the dark allyway. The men guarding the door looked around at them. "Everythin's goin fine hea," They assured the three of them.

"Alright, thanks, if deyres any problems come find one a us," Race said and nodded to the man. They made their way back to the front of the hall feeling a little more assured.

Jack turned to Race and Spot before they went to enter into the doors and the crowd beyond them. "I guess dats all, jus stay on yer guards and I'm sura id'll all woik out."

"Yea lets enjoy de show!" Race said with a smile.

"An oua goils! Cen ye believe dem?" Spot exclaimed with a sly smile and a whistle.

Talking companionably to one another they opened the doors and were surrounded by the noise of music and cheering that was the rally.


	36. Doodles Gets Herself in a Mess

When Angel, Bailey, and I were walking through the rally crowd to find seats there was more hooting and hollering that I knew wasn't just for Medda. We sat down next to Kid Blink, Mush, Boots, Crutchey, Snipeshooter, Frit, Pie Eater, and many others of the Manhattan and Brooklyn Newsies.

"De ye have a sista?" Blink said to me as I sat down and I laughed.

"Hey ya neva know dese days do ya?" I said raising my eyebrow at him.

"Yea I mean look id me an Ang," Bailey agreed, "we didn't all know fer awhile dat we was twins."

"Yea Blink ye missed out on dat one didntcha?" Mush elbowed him jokin around.

Blink sighed, "Yea tell me about id, I guess I was off me game dat day." He said grudgingly.

"Heyy Jacky-boy beatcha fair an square wid dat perty goil," Crutchey chimed in motioning at Bailey.

The three of us laughed, "Whudd is dis some sorta game ye boys play?" Angel asked jokingly.

"Hey, ids easier den poka when yer friends wid Race," Blink shrugged.

"Oh tell all de goils yer tryin te get wid dat, I'm sura dat'll make em come runnin te be wid ya," I said pretending to be offended but really was amused.

"Alright, alright," Blink said to me, but then turning to the boys he said, "Whudd de ye reckon about de danca on de right? I bet ya double or nuthin fer me goin out wid her afta de rally."

"Yer on," said Boots, "She looks like shes ten yeas olda den ye at least!"

Angel, Bailey, and I turned away from them and towards the stage shaking our heads.

Medda as always, was great on the stage and captivating to the audience, many of which had never seen one of her shows or anything like it. I always loved watching her as well. She had a beautiful voice and I loved to see the way she toyed with all the boys in the crowd.

She was in the middle of a show ballad number when I realized that the guys had been gone for quite some time. I looked around to Bailey or Angel to ask them if I should go take a look around for them and see what was up, but they had gone over to talk to Scott and Kevin who I hadn't even noticed were there before. They looked like they were engrossed in their conversation and they hardly ever got to see their brothers so I didn't want to interrupt.

Deciding to just go on my own I got up and wound my way in between newsies to get out of the crowd. Most were too engrossed by the stage to even notice that I had passed. I made it to the doors, out of them and into the entrance area of the hall. My first thought was to go check the upstairs rooms because those would be private and the way that Spot had held Jack and Race back it seemed like he had wanted to talk to them about something. I grabbed a lantern on my way up because the hall and stairs were dark. I looked in each of the many rooms off of the landing but they were all dark, they weren't in there. After I finished looking I went back down and decided to check out front. I opened the doors and Medda's guards that I had seen earlier in the day were still standing there.

"Hello little lady did ya need sumthin," One of the men said in a kindly manner.

"By any chance did ya see Jack, Spot or Race around hea?" I asked them.

"Well dey came out hea te check te see dat everythin was goin alright awhile ago. And I think dey were goin te check de back door, so mebe dats where dey went." The other man answered me.

"Oh ok, I'll check back dere den," I said, "Thanks." I went back inside and made my way to the back entrance behind the stage.

"Crap," I thought to myself as I was navigating the dark hallway. I had left the lantern up at the front on the floor of the hallway when I had come down from looking upstairs and went outside to talk to the guards. I thought about going back for it but I decided that I had already come too far and might as well just go check with the guards at the back door and head back to the show.

They were still no where to be seen as I reached the hall to the back door and because I was nervous being in the very dark area alone I reached for the my mothers necklace I always wore underneath my clothes and played with it between my fingers. When I got to the door I stuck the necklace back into my dress and pushed it open.

At first I saw no one, but the ally was very dark and I stepped some what farther out of the doorway. Then I saw a man I didn't recognize leaning against the wall behind the door. I just figured that I hadn't seen this guard earlier and I kind of just wanted to ask if they had come this way then be back on my way.

"Excuse me, I was wonderin if…" and I trailed off and a pang of dread shot through my heart. Lying on the ground a few feet away by a dumpster were the two guards I did recognize from earlier. Without a word I shot to the door which had closed behind me but the man was quicker and got in my way.

"Think yer goin somewhere perty goil?" and he grabbed my arm.

I pulled away from him and ran towards the opening of the ally but I couldn't tell if he was running after me. I thought if I could only get back to the front entrance I would be safe and be able to warn the others that something was happening. But as I got to the entrance I pulled to a quick stop and my heart pounded even harder than it had before.There in theopening that led onto a side street off the main road and the entrance to Irving Hall, stood Shadow. And by the looks of it he was flanked by the entire deadly group that was the Crypts.


	37. Race's Good Instincts

As I stood, rooted to the spot, the man that I had originally been running from came up behind me and twisted my arms behind my back roughly. I struggled against him but I couldn't escape his grip. My heart was pounding and I was thinking of Race, _"Oh please let them have gone inside the rally,"_ I prayed in my head.

"Tie her up," Shadow commanded and two men stepped out from behind him and while the man held onto me still they bound my arms tight then bound each of my legs with rope in between them. It was like shackles, so I could still walk.

As the men finished tying my bonds and stood around me so I had no escape Shadow was chuckling. I stood there defiantly, with as much dignity as I could muster being tied up and helpless. I stared back at him trying not to think about what was going to happen.

Shadow was chuckling and it was a sinister sound. "Ahhh hello dere again Doodles. How nice a ye te join us jus as we was gonna crash yer little party in dere." He said walking closer to me in the darkness of the ally. "I was actually on my way te find ye but it seems ye were somewhat eager fer oua last encounter." I didn't like how he had said "last". He was close enough to touch me now and he reached out running his finger down my cheek as I recoiled. "So yer gonna come wid me and wea gonna have a little chat while my buddies hea surprise yer little friends."

_"NO! I have to warn them somehow!"_ was what was going through my head but I couldn't see any way. I knew there were probably more newsies than Crypts but as I gazed at the group still standing beyond us I saw the glint of guns and weapons I was sure the newsies didn't have to defend themselves._ "I hope someone noticed I was gone so they come looking…" _at that point it almost seemed hopeless that anyone would realize to come…unless Race had returned to the Rally, he would know something wasn't right, he would have to.

Race was been disgruntled and a little bit uneasy when they had found Angel and Bailey with the Manhattan and Brooklyn newsies but Doodles was no where to be found. Spot and Jack went off to talk to Angel and Bailey with Scott and Kevin and Race took a seat next to Blink.

"Have ye seen Doodles anywhere?" Race asked Blink who was staring eyes glazed over at the stage.

"Ahhh…yea, yea she was jus hea a little while ago," He replied not paying much attention to Race.

Race decided he better just go look for her, just to be on the safe side. He didn't want anything happening to her; bad things seemed to occur when she was alone. He found it strange that nobody really seemed to be paying attention to the fact that she had randomly disappeared. He supposed Angel and Bailey must have gone to talk to Scott and Kevin and not noticed her leave. It was just like her to go off by herself to just not bother anyone else. Though he loved that she was independent and could take care of herself it really wasn't the smartest thing for her to do at the moment.

He had been walking through the crowd of newsies and quickly made his way to the quiet of the hall outside. In the dark he saw the lantern on the ground. _"Dats funny_…" he thought to himself, _"I wonda whudd dats from…" _Following instinct he went down the hallway, him being superstitious enough took the lantern on the ground as some sort of sign leading the way. When he reached the back door encased in darkness he felt that something wasn't right. Cautiously opening the door the slightest bit he looked out the crack. The first thing he saw were the two real guards laying by the dumpster and he knew there was trouble. And then looking around he saw the gathered crowd of Crypts and also saw Shadow holding onto Doodles. His grip tightened on the door frame as he thought _"No, dat bastard can't be touchin her_" and his first instinct was to attack. He held himself back knowing that going out there now wouldn't accomplish anything, he needed to have a plan. He needed to warn the guards up front, but he didn't want to lose sight of Doodles in the process. As he stood there trying to figure out what to do he noticed one of the guards stirring, he willed him not to move and attract the attention of the Crypts again.

Just then the mass of Crypts began to exit the ally on to the street and he figured by the way they were headed they were going to just try to enter Irving Hall in the front by force. Shadow headed the opposite way down the street one hand grabbing Doodle's arm.

Race seized his window of opportunity. Making sure the door closed quietly behind him, he quickly knelt next to the one guard who had awoken.

"Ye alright?" Race asked him and the man sat up.

"Dey sneaked up on us, I'm sorry dey…"

"No time fer dat," Race said cutting him off. "Ye need te make id te de front and warn de guards. De Crypts are gonna take id by force. Dere are probably more newsies but dey cant be allowed in, deir weapons could take out more den just a few. Go now an when ye've warned de guards up fron get de doors locked up wid everyone inside. Find Jack an Spot an tell em whudds goin on. Medda should call de bulls an claim dat de Crypts are attackin dem all durin a normal show; She'll know whudd te say. Hurry, dere's not much time til dey reach de front!"

Race helped pull the guard to his feet and without another word the guard rushedtowards the door and away to warn the others.

Race looked down at the other guard who was still laying on the ground, "sorry buddy, cant stay te help ye out." Then he turned and as the door shut behind the man Race was already running down the ally following the path of Shadow and Doodles.


	38. Taken!

When Race rounded the corner onto the street he proceeded with caution, he didn't want Shadow to be aware that he was on their trail. Vaguely in the distance ahead he could make out the forms of Shadow and Doodles, him pulling her along. He was scared for her, more scared than he could ever have been if it was himself that was in danger. There were so many things that could go wrong…so many things that could happen if he wasn't careful. He clenched his fists determinately no matter what he would make sure Doodles got out safely, she was the only thing that mattered.

I tripped, walking across an uneven stone in the pavement. Shadow's grip tightened as he pulled me along, bruising my arm. I hated the feeling of helplessness that had overtaken me now. I just wanted to see Race again, see the others, to just be in the Lodging house right now away from Shadow. I was thinking hard, I had escaped Shadow before, it was possible to do again. But if he kept me tied up like this…what was I supposed to do then? There was no one coming to save me, nothing I could do to prevent Shadow from doing what he wanted with me. I was helpless to his whim…and the thought of what that might be frightened me more than I wanted to think about. The only thing I could do was to pray the others weren't harmed by the Crypts. _"Just let Race an de oddas be ok…please…" _I prayed inside my head as if hoping someone would hear me and respond.

I hadn't been paying attention to where we had been going and as familiar with Manhattan as I had come to be, I didn't recognize where we were right away. I began to pay attention and looked around as we went rather than just focusing inside on my fear and worry as I had been doing for the past minutes he had been leading me. The buildings, I know I had seen them before, the streets now quiet, had been busy, I remembered these things from the day that Race had taken me to the tracks. And that was, I realized the way we were headed towards Sheepshed Races. What was waiting for us there, I didn't know, and didn't want to find out.

Race as well, still following at a safe distance, had immediately recognized where they were heading. He practically lived at the tracks when he wasn't selling papes well, and before he met Doodles. He felt at home with her, somehow with her he felt right, like himself, whether that be Racetrack or Anthony Higgins. His jumbled past didn't confuse him when he was with her, she didn't expect anything from him as he expected from himself. With her all he had to do was just to be. That was why he was so drawn to the tracks. Something about them, the gamble, the excitement, the crowd made him feel right and some nagging memory from them had always itched at the back of his mind. He had never been able to put his finger on that. It was like trying to remember a dream you had, actually remembering it was just slightly out of reach.

Then snapping back into reality he looked ahead surprised. They were actually at Sheepshed now, _"Why whudd Shadow come hea for…?"_ Race wondered soundlessly to himself. _"Dats odd."_ The main entrance loomed ahead looking strange to him in the dark of night. He supposed all he could do was continue to follow and find out what secrets was behind the darkness of Shadow.

Unbeknownst to me I was wondering the same thing that Race was. What was at the tracks that Shadow had taken me there for? Shadow pulled me to the right and we veered away from the main entrance making our way around the side gate of the vast wall that surrounded the track within. For a minute we walked and then we came to a door in the wall and I heard a jingling noise. I looked down and saw Shadow had pulled a ring of keys from his pocket. It was just then that I remembered, the door being under a street light, I had never actually been able to look upon Shadow's face in the light. He was always enclosed by darkness. He was in front of me now, his face turned away from me as he turned the key in the lock. There was a click and he pulled the door open then pushed me through first. I turned my head, my curiosity about his face too much to take, just wanting one peek. Out of no where came his hand and it slapped me across the face.

"Ye'll turn around when I tells ye te, ye stinkin whore. Don worry, I'm sura any questions ye have'll be answered before de nights ova…" he growled out at me. Face stinging I defiantly marched ahead.

We had entered onto a wide walkway that went around the track and there were no lights to illuminate it. Shadow prodded me forwards, further into the darkness and I had no choice but to comply. Strangely I never heard the sound of the door shutting behind us. It was a fleeting thought before Shadow jerked me to one side and we started up a flight of stairs. They looked as though they led into the stands where the crowd was able to watch the races. Further on and on we went the silence close upon us. We passed aisles of seats and stairs leading down to the ground and up to another level of seats. Soon we reached a wall where the vast seats ended; it was halfway along the track. There was a door there and he pulled out his keys again and opened it. Through this door we went my arm numb from his grip by now and down a hallway lined with rooms. It seemed as though finally we had reached our destination for he used another key to open a door at the end of the hall and we were inside a room.

Leaving the door ajar he roughly pushed me down onto a cot in the corner of the small and dingy room. I looked around. Other than that there wasn't much else but a plain table and chair and a trunk set against the wall.

"So hea we are, me home sweet home. How de ye like id toots?" Shadow chuckled grimly. He was turned to the side so I could see his profile and his stance somehow looked familiar to me. I just couldn't place it but I shrugged it aside in my mind. There were more urgent issues, such as my life, I had to worry about.

"Ye live hea?" I asked trying to sound casual after finding my voice. I needed to be brave, hide my fear and anger so I wouldn't provoke him in any way.

"Sure I do, even a Crypt needs a day job. I woik at de tracks fer a livin as a custodian." I wasn't sure why he felt the need to tell me this but I just needed to keep him thinking about something other than me. I didn't know what he would do with me.

"Dats how I knew where te look fer ye dat day, de foist few afta I killed off yer mudda. I saw ye hea at de tracks, taggin along wid a newsie who comes hea a lot. Afta dat id wasn't so hard te figure dat ye'd be bunkin up wid dem and deir ratty little friends."

I felt a hot flash of anger at the casual way he mentioned killing my mother and then thought about how clueless we were that the whole time Shadow was so close. So many worse things could have happened to Race or any other of the newsies if they had come to the tracks more often. Then it hit me, did Shadow find out about the rally because of the day that we had met here to find Race?

"Thanks te ye an yer group of little friends, I found out about de rally. Ye should know deyres always someone listenin."

I somehow was able to find my voice, "Bu-but we neva said anythin about de rally hea…we went te Meddas."

"Well see deyres always someone watchin if yer not careful enough. I followed ye dere, ye call it Medda's place..? An den found out about de rally from dere. We've been one step ahead a ye de whole time. Ye an yer stupid friends were thinkin ye all wera so great. But ye cant escape me… not if I don want ye to."

"Why de ye keep comin afta me? Whudds de point anyhow? Im not gonna go te de bulls I swear, deyre'd be no point in id, dey don care about any small murder like me muddas…" tears stung my eyes at the injustice of it all but I wiped them away, refusing to let them fall in front of Shadow.

"Yea, yer right, de bulls don give a rats ass about any ol scum like yer mudda was," he spat on the floor after saying this. "An I knew nuthin bad would happen te me because a id…rape an murder ids almost nuthin te dem when deyres no way a findin out who did it. Dese things happen so much in New Yawk, no one really cares…"

"I care, ye fuckin bastard, she was me mudda! De only damn family I eva knew! De only poison I eva had dats been dere fer me my entia life!" I cried out, I was clenching my fists so hard my nails were biting into my palms. "Why? Why'd id haveta be her, whudd de hell did she eva do te ye!" I was shouting at him with all my pent up anger and grief.

"Ids her fault! She took away my family, took away de only people I had. Yea, she did plenty…id went too far when I realized dat she not only took away my woman, she took away sumthin from me, stole the fortune with just one little thing. Id took me a long time te find out where she was, I knew nuthin of her at de time…fer everythin she did te me, yea she desoived whudd she got."

"Whudd…whudd are ye talkin about?" I had no idea what that whole speech was supposed to mean. His woman? His fortune? It seemed as though I was missing a big part of the story, and I was about to find out what connection there was between me and Shadow.


	39. Charlie

I sat there on the flat uncomfortable cot utterly confused as Shadow began the story, the room still unlit, the door still ajar.

"I'll tell ye de story startin wid me. I, growin up, was not much mora a rat den any a youse woikin kids…"

_A 17 year old boy named Charlie rushed down the dingy street as a cold wind whipped around him. He pulled at the thin coat he wore, trying somehow to make it warmer, wanting badly to keep out the piercing cold and wind. He was on his way to work the night at a bar that he was lucky enough to be hired at when he needed a second job. He lived in Harlem, New York and this winter had been the bitterest he could ever remember. Every morning after finishing at the bar, he went home, a hole in the wall room he shared with his ailing father, and slept until he woke up and went to work at a sweatshop nearby. He hated his life and he was bitter for it even at his young age. His mother, whom had been his only comfort and support, had died a few years before, killed in a machinery accident at the same sweat shop he worked at now. His father was a drunk, and the way Charlie knew him best was when he had a bottle in his hand, yelling at him for some reason or another. He couldn't remember ever a moment when his father had acted tender or loving towards his wife or Charlie just as he couldn't remember a time when he hadn't worked. Now his father was sick and Charlie worked non stop just to keep up what they had now. Charlie hardly even knew why he bothered anymore. The work would not get him anywhere, his father would die, he knew, and there was no other purpose for him to exist. He was tired of the pain, and physically as well. Stuck on the endless cycle of work and nothing more, he felt rung out. _

_Somewhere along his way he missed the bar where he was supposed to take the next shift on clean-up, but he hardly noticed. He just continued to walk until he was in a place he didn't recognize. It seemed to be a much wealthier neighborhood than defiantly he was accustomed to. Exhaustion was making the edges of his sight go fuzzy and he realized he hadn't eaten in over a day. As he trudged up the cold street he came upon a beautiful house, the like of which he had never seen. The lights within, on the dark night, seemed to make it glow. He stopped and gazed at it, imagining the warmth and grandeur of the inside. As he surveyed it a figure in a window caught his eye. She looked to be a young girl, around his age with ebony hair and vulnerable dark eyes. Captivated, as he was sure she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen, he stood there until from exhaustion he passed out cold onto the pavement._

_When he awoke he was sure he must still be dreaming. Beneath him he felt a soft mattress and surrounding him was a blanket of warmth. Wanting to stay in that warm and wonderful place he kept his eyes shut until he heard a girl's voice next to him._

_"Hm I was so sure he was awake," said the voice and out of curiosity Charlie opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was an angel – the girl in the window stood next to him peering down into his face._

_"Oh!" she gasped surprised. "Are ye alright? He's awake Milly!" And as she called into the other room a maid dressed in uniform walked in, carrying a large tray of food._

_"Oh good, the tray won be getting cold then," She said. "What's yer name son?" She asked him._

_"Charlie" he managed to croak out and she handed him a glass of water._

_"Eat, you look half starved to me" the maid pushed the tray towards him and he didn't object. He began to eat and the food tasted like glory in his starved mouth. The maid named Milly bustled out of the room leaving him and the girl alone._

_"My name's Angela," She told him taking a seat next to the bed he was lain out upon. "I saw you collapse outside and I had the servents carry you in here. What happened to you?" she looked genuinely concerned which was a strange feeling for Charlie, who lived a bitter life empty of any sort of caring._

_"I guess im jus ova woiked…cant keep up. As id is, im late fer my night job, I gotta go," he attempted to sit up but she pushed him back onto the bed._

_"Ye don look well enough to me to go and work all night. You're not going anywhere yet." She said matter of factly as if that was the end of that. "Besides shouldn't you just take advantage of my hospitality? You look like you are in the need for some."_

_He continued eating and as he did he looked at her. "huh," he thought, she had "typical rich goil" written all over her, from her silky curled hair to her perfect white dress. But he supposed she seemed nice enough. At least he was getting something to eat and some comfort from this. Charlie never thought much of rich folks and especially their kids, they didn't know what it was like to have nothing, they were born being fed from a silver spoon. He couldn't understand why some people could have so much and some just have nothing, like him._

_"How old are you?" She asked him, watching him right back. She was intrigued by the shabby boy she had pulled from the street outside. Never had she really associated with any poor working class people her age or let alone any age. At her rich private school and friends she knew by her parent's friends she didn't know much of the hardships of life on the streets or that life had any real hardships like what Charlie knew._

_"Seventeen," he replied, "Whudd about you?"_

_"I'm seventeen too," she seemed excited by the prospect that they had even that in common. "Where do you go to school?"_

_"I don," he said and shrugged, "all I can do is woik fer me livin."_

_"Well what do your parents do?" she asked with a confused look upon her face._

_Charlie wasn't in the best mood to deal with some prissy rich girl, who didn't know her right from her left. "Me mudda's dead and me fatha's dyi. Betcha not used te talkin te any ol street trash like me eh?" he said it rudely but he didn't care._

_"Oh…" she looked hurt and he could see the innocence and vulnerability on her face, "I'm sorry…I guess you're right, I don't know anything about…" she trailed off he supposed not knowing how to word it without sounding rude._

_"My sorta life. I get it." He set the tray on the table next the bed and sat up. This time however, she didn't stop him._

_"I should get te woik, I don wan dem te fire me if I don show up, I need dis job…" he said and with reluctance pushed off the warm bedding and got up._

_"What is your job?" she asked him as he walked towards the door._

_"I woik at one a de bars in de slums. But uh, thanks fer de food an all." he turned to leave._

_"You work at a bar? At night? That's dangerous!" she said alarmed and got up, "Its not a safe place to be down there, isn't there somewhere else you can go?" _

_"Nuttin dat I know of, an I doubt ye can help me."_

_"Well I might be able to…" but as she was speaking he exited the room, the door shutting firmly behind him._


	40. Ignorance is Bliss

This chapter is dedicated to my readers…did I ever tell any of you people I really hate doing flashbacks? Haha its ok, it was the only way I really thought that this would work out with the least amount of confusion. I guess the only way to get to the very VERY tehe exciting conclusion to Doodle's story is to keep this up! (um sorry these chapters have been so few and far between) Enjoy

_Angela didn't know why she had felt drawn to Charlie and she had felt bad about her ignorance of his world. She wanted to help, he made her feel stupid and that wasn't something she was used to either, she was a good student and got much praise for her academics as well as much anything else she attempted at. She decided she would find Charlie work, then go and find him._

_Her initial thought was that Charlie would almost certainly be able to acquire a job at her estate with her word on him to her father. She was quite the "Daddy's girl" and everyone else knew it, including her if truth be told. She went to him batting her eyelashes, prepared to beg. But she didn't end up having to beg like she'd thought. After asking just once he had already said he would look into it. Her father, Anthony was quite strict and he had made his money in stocks when he had moved to America from Italy with his parents. He met Angela's Italian mother in New York and they got married and had their precious baby girl. Tough father he was, but he wanted nothing less than the best for his little girl. If she wanted something done about this boy, he'd take care of it, what was the harm?_

_After a bit of checking with the staff it turned out that the stable master was in need of more help since they had required their most recent racing horse. He was a beauty too, Anthony had named him Apollo after the Greek god. Later in the day Anthony found Angela in her sitting room and told her that they could hire Charlie, but that he must behave himself well. He could even live in the stable houses near the stable master if that was more convenient. He didn't however, forget to stress that at one sign of stealing or bad behavior, he would be fired immediately. She listened to him and nodded all the while jumping up and down, happily excited, feeling as though maybe she could fine a way to help people._

_After Anthony left his daughter's sitting room Angela rushed to her bed chamber. "I need to go find him at once!" she thought, "He will be so happy to have a better paying job to provide for his family!" She pulled on her warm riding cloak and she was ready to searching for the place where he worked. Evening was approaching and she knew she wasn't to go out in the dark, especially alone and she was specifically forbidden from the nastier parts of town, the slums, where she was headed. But she was too expectant to wait anther second to find Charlie and tell him. As pampered as she was, she had an adventurous streak in her, and through naiveté or bravery she wasn't afraid._

_She snuck down to the stables opened the large, heavy door, only enough for her slim frame to slip through. She went instinctively in the dark to the stable that held her favorite horse, Apple, a mare named for her love of the fruit. _

_"Hey girl," she whispered, stroking the mare's neck. She had to be quiet because you never knew who was lurking around. Their estate housed all sorts and numbers of servants from butlers and maids, to stable men and gardeners. Very carefully she mounted; deciding bareback would be easier so she wouldn't have to fully saddle the horse herself. She pushed open the gate and they trotted as quietly as a horse can trot, into the twilight._

_She was shocked at the state of the neighborhood not even three blocks from her very own estate, and felt very small and sheltered at the shock of the harder outside world. She located the bar where a servant had told her that Charlie worked the night shift at. The bar coined the Hangman was a hole in the wall, literally, as you might have not even noticed it for the door and a sign hanging from worn rope. Though her hands were sweating and she felt guilty for sneaking out against her father's will she straightened her shoulders and pushed open the door. _

_When she stepped inside and felt the rush of warm air she also felt the eyes of the regulars in the joint staring into her. The place was dimly lit by only a few ancient looking lamps and some candles whose wax was dripped down to their bases. It was occupied by men that she was sure weren't appropriate company for any sort of girl her age, old and young, all dirty, drunks, or looking like they were run-away criminals. There was one woman in the place, a barmaid, dressed scantily in Angela's opinion, in a dressed that showed off her voluptuous figure. Getting a feel for her surroundings she confidently walked up to the bar where an older greasy looking man was using an even greasier rag to wipe down the countertop._

_"Excuse me sir," she said with as much confidence as she could possibly have feeling more uncomfortable with her surroundings with every moment, "I am looking for a boy named Charlie. I think he works the night shift here?"_

_The man cleared his throat as he lifted his head and stared at her appraisingly. "Charlie's not in tenight miss, he hasn't come in fer one reason or de odda, damned youngin…" and he turned in the other direction muttering under his breath and started wiping down glasses with the dirty rag._

_"_How rude",_ Angela thought to herself, Charlie was just a young man, her age who shouldn't be working so much anyways. She didn't understand why he should be pushed so hard, they weren't even all that busy. "Well," she said to the man's turned back, "could you tell me where I could find him?" but to this she got no response. Putting her hands on her hips and forgetting where she was she said louder this time, "Hellooooo, could you please even try to listen to me?"_

_To her right she heard a loud "Hmmmmpphhhhhh," stated obviously in an annoyed manner. She turned and saw the barmaid and even in the dim light she could see her overdone makeup and the unkempt quality of her appearance._

_"Is something the manner?" Angela asked her, not understanding why the woman would be staring at her with such disdain._

_Setting down her tray on the counter and unloading it of half empty glasses and bottles she said, "I jus don see where ye people get off. Cummin in hea dressed all fancy demandin things from us common people. Stay whea ye belong an don bother us wid yer problems cuz I'm damn sura dat we've got you beat in dat area." _

_"Ummmm…" Angela didn't know how to respond, she had never felt the harsh reality of life for those in the times when there wasn't enough food or money to get by and support a family. She had grown up sheltered, cultured, and had never learned of the outside world, let alone been short of money. She didn't realize at the time how bitterness and jealously could turn people against each other. "I just wanted to find Charlie and give him some good news…could you possibly tell me where I could find him?"_

_The barmaid, still making Angela very uncomfortable with her stare said "Well he stays two blocks ova on Kramer Street, his place is de dump third in from all de odda dumps, poa kid." She gave a sad sort of not happy or encouraging chuckle and said, "Ye couldn't eva understand id. One day ye'll fall on hard times…id happens te us all…never te late te see de darker sida a life ain't id?" and shaking her head she turned away from Angela walking to a beckoning customer._

_Angela stood for a moment more uncomfortable than ever not knowing what to do. Then feeling more depressed than she thought she'd ever feel about her outlook on life she turned in the opposite direction and walked back out the door into the bitter darkening night._

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	41. The Beginning of the End

To my readers, thank you for reading!

I hope you are enjoying a look into the past!

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_A little before Angela left the comfort and warmth of her house Charlie was heading to his own… you could call the deserted and decrepit room his home. Exhausted as he was from working the sweatshop, he was just as pissed off this evening. Today he was supposed to be paid his wage for the past two weeks but he was cheated by his bastard of a manager. Charlie had been running the machinery that chopped lumber to build all sorts of different things for people who could actually afford them when the damn thing had jammed. It turned out that a piece of metal had gotten shoved in with the lumber and that was why the machine was jammed. When his boss found out that a part of the machinery was broken because of the metal he went ballistic and went so far as to not give Charlie his pay. Charlie had punched the jackass right across the face. And though he was sure it wasn't the end of it, it had felt damn good._

_Now on his way home, not wanted to head to the Hangman for another lousy night on the job dealing with drunks and jackasses, the knuckles on his right hand aching, he shook his head. It was all a joke anyways, though not a very funny one. What would happen to him when things kept going from bad to worse? It all began with his mother's death. At least when she was alive he still had hope that life was worth living and he would get somewhere with it. "Little Charlie," she used to say in her soft voice, holding him in her weathered well worn arms, "Things may not be the greatest now, but we've still got each other. Someday we'll go to the ocean and have a house to be proud of and we can all be a happy family together." Those dreams Charlie had held up for her, and because of her. But they were slowly disappearing in his memory. Each day was worse; his father got worse every day as well. "Too bad that's his own damn fault," Charlie thought to himself bitterly. He had known, even when he was little how drunk his father would get and how often. There was one time he could remember more than the rest when his father got so drunk that he struck Charlie's mother. Charlie was younger then, maybe seven or eight and didn't know what to do. He stayed shut off in his corner underneath a blanket pretending to be asleep and that night he vowed to never become like his father, drunken or angry. He thought now of his failure in the latter respect as he had become an angry cynic at the world and at life. The unfairness of the world shocked and stunned him into forgetting the good in the world and his mother's memory faded more with each taxing day. Bowing low enough as he reached his "home" he pushed aside the ragged curtain that closed off the inside from the streets of Harlem._

_The inside of the hole in the wall was a depressing sight. There was no furniture to make it seem like a home but for one rickety table with uneven legs that two people could barely sit at. The candle that was burned almost down to the end had melted over the top of the table and in the flickering light Charlie could see the crouched form of his father crouched against the wall wrapped in rags. Charlie knelt next to him and nudged him wearily._

_"Hey, wake up," he said though he didn't know why he bothered, it wasn't as if he had any good news, money, or even food to give him. He didn't feel love or even like towards his father who had done nothing to try to be a good father, Charlie just felt a sense of duty, and the man was his father. At the moment he hoped that his father wasn't drunk at least. He had gotten sicker and sicker and even though they hardly had enough money to feed themselves his father found ways, mostly stealing, to feed his alcoholism. At this point, however, Charlie noticed that his father had not moved at all. Charlie nudged him again but his father slumped to the floor, his eyes not opening and his limbs limp._

_"Dad!" Charlie said louder, "Wake up, id's me Charlie!" He felt a sense of urgency and fright he hadn't felt since the death of his mother years ago. Charlie shook his father and felt for a pulse. At his neck Charlie felt an ever so slight throb and it was at that moment his father opened his eyes just a little and turned his head towards his son._

_"Charlie…" his father rasped so quietly Charlie could barely hear him. "I think it's finally killed me…an before I go I need te tell ye sumthin…" Charlie knew that he meant the alcohol,l and the sickness that had, in the long term, come along with it. He had known it all along and had seen the deterioration of his body and mind for a long time before that._

_"What is id?" Charlie asked a numbness creeping into his heart._

_"Charlie…your mother…I loved her once…things…weren't always so bad…" he whispered and a look of pain came into his eyes whether from his health or the memories. "I became a different poison…wid each drink…ye must know dat…" he coughed harshly and took a few taxing breaths. "She…she didn't die…at de sweatshop…" _

_Charlie was suddenly confused and tried to remember back to the day when she died. He recalled he hadn't worked at the sweatshop then but apprenticed for a blacksmith, cleaning tools and doing grunt work. He had been about 13 at the time. His father had come rushing into the workroom tears in his eyes and told Charlie that his mother was dead, she had been killed by heavy machinery that fell…but then, Charlie thought to himself…what was his father saying?_

_"Id…was a mistake!" his father cried forcefully, "I didn't…mean to…I was upset…I was drunk…she tried te take away… de drink…mine…an…I did it son…id was me…" a tear rolled down his worn cheek._

_But all Charlie could feel was…nothing. His body was cold, he was out of touch with himself. What had his father just confessed to? His mother, the only one who had truly loved and cared for him, was dead because of….because of him!_

_"What are ye sayin…" Charlie said softly but deliberately hate filling his every syllable._

_"I…killed…her…"_

_"NO!" Charlie yelled. She had loved him, life would be better if she was alive, it wouldn't be so hard, he wouldn't have to kill himself every day for this bastard, if only she were here. All these thoughts raced through Charlie's numb mind all at once. _

_"YOU! You should have died instead of her, I wish you were dead you bastard!" Charlie bitterly shot out the words and for once didn't care what his father would do or say, he had the power now, his father could not push him around any more as he had for all those years, and as he had his mother. "Ye don't desoive te be killed by de disease, by de alcohol dat is yer fault in de foist place! I will kill ye before death has a chance!" and Charlie, feeling a power and an evil he had tasted before but never felt like this, coursing through his veins, raised his fist._

_"I…am…sorry…" his father rasped, and Charlie, bare handed, not feeling the pain in his knuckles finished his excuse for a father whose apology were his last words._


End file.
